The Continuation
by sammaclausegamgee
Summary: -this is a sequel- Dark and Daisuke have managed to escape death and have returned for their target, hoping to stow it away before it causes any more trouble. Everything seems to be back to normal, but how long will that last?
1. Chapter 1

"It's good to be back on the job," Dark stated with a sigh and a stretch. He stood atop a tall building with his wings extended. In a few minutes, he would fly down to the museum below and make off with yet another valuable object.

"I still feel like it's too soon," Daisuke replied from within his mind.

Dark conveyed thoughts of disapproval, "it's been a week, Daisuke. Do you really want to just sit around?"

"I know what you mean," the younger boy said, "but remember what happened last time?"

Dark remembered. He remembered their latest heist and how it had almost been their last. It angered him to think their last heist might have been a failed one. Luckily, Krad did not have his way. Dark responded with a confident smile, "I remember, Daisuke. This is our chance to finish what we started that night. Something like that won't happen again. We broke that magic and it will take more than a week for Krad to recover." Dark had returned to the museum that had become the Angelbow's new home. This time, he would succeed. He was sure of it.

"Why can't we just leave it where it is?" Daisuke complained, "None of that would have happened if we hadn't touched it."

"Like I said, we broke the magic on that bow. Besides, the longer we wait, the more time it has to recover…and the more time Krad has to tamper with it again. He wouldn't make it so easy the second time."

"I guess you're right," Daisuke admitted hesitantly.

"Of course I am," Dark laughed, "that thing can't do any harm if it's locked in the Niwa basement." He glanced out at the clock tower. "It's time." He could still feel Daisuke's apprehension. "Just close your eyes," he suggested light-heartedly, "it'll be over before you know it." He chuckled to himself and leapt from his perch with his wings spread wide.

OOOOOO

"Inspector Saehara," Satoshi called as he marched down the hallway. No answer. "Inspector Saehara!"

The police inspector responded after the second call. He stepped into the hall and followed Satoshi. "Commander?"

"Dark will be coming in just a few minutes," Satoshi stated, "tell me everything is ready."

"It is."

"You made all the preparations exactly as I specified?"

"Yes, sir," Satoshi could tell the inspector was putting real effort into hiding his misgivings about having to follow orders from a child. He did not blame him for it. After all, his place in the precinct was unusual at his age. Still, he did not say anything about it.

"Then all we can do now is wait."

As if on cue, all lights in the museum went out. "Commander, the power. Without it, the security system won't detect Dark."

"No, it won't," Satoshi agreed, "and he knows that. Send some of your men to the generator room to investigate."

"Yes, sir." With that, the inspector left.

"He will have left by now," Satoshi said to himself once he was alone. He knew the police would not find him in the generator room. His past experience with Dark told him the thief was probably already in the display room. Although he was expected to stop him, Satoshi wanted the Angelbow out of his reach once and for all. He had been lenient again.

OOOOOOO

Dark groaned after he had made it to the display room with ease. "What's wrong, Dark?" Daisuke asked him, slightly worried.

"The commander's going easy on us," Dark pointed out, "this is no fun."

"Is that really so bad? I'm sure he wants it stolen just as much as we do."

"Even so. He knows he doesn't have do this. Not only is it boring, it's just plain insulting." Daisuke laughed at that. Dark frowned, "what's so funny?"

"Insulting? Maybe that's why he's doing it."

"Oh, I'm sure that's why he's doing it. Jerk. I'll get back at him later." With the power still off, Dark had no reason to pause before grabbing the Angelbow from its place and sticking it under his arm. As he turned to leave, the lights flicked back on. "That's better," Dark said, grinning.

"Let's just get out of here," Daisuke begged, "you can get him back next time."

Dark glanced down at his prize as he thought. "Something this dangerous should be dealt with right away, I suppose." Daisuke let out a sigh of relief. Dark leapt across the room, landing between traps while dodging security lasers. "This is just too easy," he muttered as he ducked under the last beam of light.

"Dark!"

Dark glanced down the hall to see two police men begin running in his direction. He looked past them to see Satoshi watching him with a blank expression. The thief paused a second to point a finger at him as a warning. 'I'll get you', he thought to himself before taking off in the opposite direction.

The two officers gave chase. Dark knew they could not keep up with him, but did not want them trailing him when he made his escape. He dashed around a corner and entered a new hallway which led to a few more rooms and a wall at the other end. A small window disrupted the smooth surface of the wall at a height two feet above Dark's head. He headed straight forward and jumped to kick the glass out. The footsteps of the two guards grew louder as they neared the corner. Dark landed and opened the nearest door. He entered the new room and the shut the door silently behind him. He waited and listened.

The noise of the footsteps stopped when the guards reached the end of the hall. "He must have when out through here," one of the officers stated.

The second guard cursed. "Get on the radio! We might still catch him."

Both officers returned the way they came as the first called to his comrades outside with his radio. Dark exited the room and laughed. "As if I would fit out that window. These guys are gullible." He went back down the hall and peered around the corner before continuing. Satoshi and the guards were gone. He rushed toward the staircase leading to the roof.

"GOTCHA!"

"AGH!" Dark was thrown to the floor as a police officer threw himself on top of him. The Angelbow was thrown from his hands and into the air.

Daisuke shouted at him, "Dark! You have to catch it!"

"Easy for you to say!"

Dark cringed and prepared himself for the inevitable crack. There was only silence. He glanced up to see Satoshi holding the bow gingerly. "That was clumsy," he stated.


	2. Chapter 2

Dark threw his elbow backward and into the guard's face. Satoshi did not wait to see the outcome. Without a word, he ran off down the hallway. Dark cursed and started to get up, but the officer pounced on him once again and began fumbling for his handcuffs.

"I've got you this time," he declared in a determined voice. Dark rolled his eyes and hit him again.

The guard fell to the tile and Dark leapt to his feet. He only took one step before his adversary tackled his leg. Dark found himself on the floor once again.

"Damn it," he shouted, "don't make me hurt you!" The police officer ignored his threat and grabbed his sleeve. Dark groaned and kicked him in the face-HARD. He didn't wait another second to see how effective his strike was. Instead, he immediately jumped up and took off as fast as he could. After taking two turns and running down those halls, he came to a spot where two halls intersected one another. "Damn," he cursed, "Hiwatari runs fast for a guy who wants that thing stolen."

"He can't just give it to you," Daisuke pointed out, "there are security cameras everywhere. The police would think he was working with you the whole time."

"I get that," Dark replied, "but there are three ways he could have gone here. I can't steal something I can't find."

"Maybe you can—"

"SHH! Listen." They both listened and heard footsteps and other sounds of movement to the right. Dark ran toward them.

"See?" Daisuke asked, "If he didn't want you to find him, he wouldn't have made so much noise."

Dark ignored him. It was only a few seconds before the thief caught a glimpse of his prey. The commander had noticed him as well. Dark could see he held a small remote and noticed his thumb move toward one of the buttons as he ran. He heard a click in the wall beside him and jumped just in time to avoid a security laser. His coat was not so lucky and, as it struck the beam, a piece of black fabric fell to the floor.

'Well, that's a nice touch,' Dark thought to himself, 'things are finally getting exciting.' He continued to chase the younger boy, keeping his eyes and ears alert for any more traps.

Further down the hall, he heard two clicks at once on either side. Dark twisted to the left, narrowly avoiding one laser, then bent back ward to avoid having his head removed.

"Maybe he doesn't want you to steal it after all," Daisuke suggested. His anxiety was apparent in his voice. "This is too dangerous. We should go home."

"Nonsense! He's just putting on a show; we'll be fine."

Satoshi and his pursuer turned one last corner before encountering a dead end. The boy turned to face Dark with a calm expression.

"I'll be taking that," the thief stated with an outstretched hand.

Satoshi shifted the bow to his left hand, the one furthest from Dark, and pulled out his handcuffs with his right. "Come and get it."

Dark smirked and took a few steps forward before stopping three feet in front of him. "Do you really want to start a fight with me, Commander? This could get ugly." He held out his hand again. Satoshi slapped a cuff over Dark's wrist. The thief laughed. "Seriously?"

The commander pulled him closer. "Knock me out," he whispered. Dark grinned and yanked his wrist away, taking the handcuffs with it. Before Satoshi could pretend to react, Dark's second hand came up in the form of a fist and smacked him in the jaw. The boy flew back and collided with the wall behind him then slumped to the ground.

"Dark," Daisuke scolded, "you didn't have to hit him that hard!"

"Don't blame me," Dark replied as he took the Angelbow back, "he asked for it." Once he got the handcuffs off and dropped them on the unconscious Satoshi, he wasted no time in finding the nearest exit. He encountered only one officer in that time since the others were wandering around the museum searching for their commander and his thief. The surprised guard received a quick boot to the face and Dark was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

"Commander?"

Satoshi was brought to his senses by the sharp pain in his mouth and jaw.

"Commander!" He opened his eyes to see one of his men with a glass of water. The officer let out a sigh of relief, "are you alright?"

Satoshi touched his chin and felt the warm wetness of blood. "I'm fine," he replied.

The officer handed him the glass and frowned, "Dark escaped…again."

"I'm sure he did." The commander took a handkerchief from his pocket and dipped it in the water to dab his face. "Next time we will need to be more prepared."

"We should have been prepared this time." Satoshi and the officer glanced toward Inspector Saehara. The inspector folded his arms. He was obviously disappointed. "Commander."

"Inspector?"

"Might I have a word with you? Alone?"

Satoshi glanced at the officer, who nodded in response and left the room. "What is it, inspector?"

"Are we on the same side?"

Satoshi's eyes widened slightly; he was not expecting a question like that. "What do you mean?"

"I mean this." The inspector dropped a folded up sheet of paper in Satoshi's lap. The boy unfolded it and read it.

"This is the list I gave you."

"I'm sorry if I'm reading too far into this," Saehara began, "but you and I both know these preparations would never catch the phantom thief. I didn't say anything before, but after what happened tonight, I'm getting this suspicious feeling in my gut."

Satoshi folded the list up and set it on the tile floor, "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying I looked over the camera footage. I saw you hesitate…or at least pause long enough for Dark to hit you. At least, that's what I thought I saw. And before that, you ran away from Dark instead of arresting him. Are you helping him?"

"I knew we would not be able to hold on to him like that. I was hoping to get him in one of the traps, so I made him chase me."

"Then why did you hesitate?"

Satoshi studied the inspector's face. He could tell he was frustrated. He guessed Saehara took the multiple defeats personally in a way. He understood why he would be suspicious of the boy genius commanding the task force. Still, there would be too many secrets to explain if he told the truth. Even then, he would have a hard time understanding why he did what he did. "You were mistaken. I did not hesitate; the thief is faster than I am."

"I suppose so," the inspector said after a moment of thought, "tonight just didn't go as smoothly as it should have. Things happen."

"Indeed. I apologize for my part in it."

"And I apologize for suspecting you." The two nodded acknowledgement and Satoshi got to his feet.

The inspector watched him leave with a frown.

OOOOOOOO

"Oh, my! It's so beautiful," Emiko Niwa exclaimed, touching the Angelbow with a gentle finger, "it's hard to imagine this thing was responsible for all that misery."

"It is often the most beautiful things you have to be wary of." Daisuke, his mother, and his father all glanced at Daiki, noting the sudden bit of wisdom. The old man smiled, "if you're not careful, you might be dragged into a life of crime. Isn't that right, Kosuke?" He chuckled to himself.

"How mean of you!" Emiko scolded. She hugged her husband, "Kosuke likes it here. Don't you, Kosuke?"

Kosuke stared at her sweet smile momentarily before replying, "o-of course I do."

"Oooh, Kosukeee~!" She smothered him in her chest.

"Um, mom?"

Emiko released her husband. "What is it, sweetie?"

Daisuke was nervous about touching the Angelbow and pointed at it instead, "shouldn't we put this away? What if something happens?"

"You're absolutely right, Daisuke!" She placed a hand on the bow, "oh, Kosuke. Won't you help me?" Kosuke smiled pleasantly and lifted it for her. "Look how strong you are," Emiko teased. She led him down to the basement.

Once they were gone, Dark interrupted Daisuke's thoughts, "your parents are ridiculous, Daisuke."


	4. Chapter 4

Daisuke walked casually down the school hallway with his bag slung over his shoulder. He hadn't felt so good in days. With the Angelbow safely locked away in his basement, everything finally felt normal again. Dark's silence only made the beginning of his day better. He liked Dark, but there were times he wished he wasn't around. Daisuke caught himself and breathed deep, reminding himself how close Dark had come to being erased forever, just because he had been taken out of Daisuke's body. He couldn't allow himself to wish the thief was gone so light-heartedly. Dark was a person too, even if he wasn't human.

Daisuke waited to hear laughter in his head. When he heard nothing, he assumed Dark was still tired after his activity from the night before. He was glad the thief was not awake to hear all that; he would have thought it hilariously sappy.

"GAH!"

Daisuke gasped for breath after nearly being knocked over by Takeshi. "Takeshi? Wh-what…"

Takeshi stared down at him, but showed no signs of concern for his well-being, "where have you been, Daisuke?"

"I was sick," Daisuke replied, hoping Takeshi would help him up after learning that. Instead, the other boy spun around to look about. Satisfied, he grabbed Daisuke's sleeve and pulled him up while dragging him toward the restroom. Daisuke stumbled as he tried to keep up with his friend, "Takeshi, wait!"

Takeshi stopped once the restroom door was closed. He let go of Daisuke and ducked down to scan the stalls for feet. Once he was sure they were alone, he turned back to Daisuke and smiled. "I'm on a secret mission for my dad," he said proudly.

"But…now that you told me, it isn't secret anymore."

Takeshi laughed, "of course it is." He grabbed Daisuke shirt and pulled him close. "As long as you don't tell anybody," he said threateningly.

"I won't," Daisuke replied nervously, "I promise". He allowed himself to breathe once Takeshi let go of his shirt the second time. He sighed and decided he would hear him out, but his friend often made a big deal out of nothing.

Takeshi leaned in to whisper, "it's about Phantom Thief Dark."

Daisuke realized this could be serious. A secret mission from his father, a police inspector, about Dark was something he should pay attention to. He was almost afraid to ask, "And why are you telling me?"

"You're the only person Hiwatari really talks to," Takeshi explained.

That wasn't what Daisuke expected. "Hiwatari? What does this have to do with him?"

"My dad thinks he knows why Dark is so good," Takeshi explained with a sneaky smile.

"Oh, does he!"

Daisuke sighed. Dark had picked the perfect time to wake up. 'Just ignore him,' he told himself.

"I heard that."

Takeshi cocked an eyebrow, "why are you sighing? You think I'm joking?"

"Not at all," Daisuke replied quickly, "I'm just…a little tired from my sickness?"

Takeshi watched him for a few quick seconds before shrugging it off. "Anyway," he said, "my dad thinks." He stopped and glanced around one more time.

"Nobody's here, Takeshi."

"Can't be too careful with a story like this. Don't want anyone stealing it, you know what I mean?"

"Just get on with it," Dark complained impatiently from Daisuke's mind.

"What were you going to say, Takeshi?"

"My dad thinks Hiwatari and Dark are in it together." Daisuke kept himself from cringing visibly as Dark shouted protests. "Big, right? He thinks Hiwatari has been purposely letting Dark escape. He also says it's possible he's been telling him all about the plans the police have made to catch him."

"That bastard! He thinks I need Hiwatari's help beating his pathetic cops!?"

Daisuke ignored the thief, "What makes him think that?"

"That's not important right now," Takeshi insisted, shaking his head, "I need you to help me."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Like I said, Hiwatari talks to you. I want you to keep an eye—or ear or whatever—open for anything suspicious. I'll tell my dad what you find out and we'll get this story out together. How's that sound?"

"I'm not a reporter, Takeshi," Daisuke answered, "and I don't want to spy on my friend like that."

"What?" Dark interrupted, "Say you'll do it!"

'Why?'

"If you agree, you can tell him anything and he'll take it as truth. You have to stop this rumor before it gets out! Just don't tell him anything without asking me first."

"Then again," Daisuke added quickly, "if you're right, this could be huge."

"That's what I've been telling you, Niwa!"

"I'll see what I can find."

Takeshi grinned and slapped him on the back. "Just remember: don't tell anyone."


	5. Chapter 5

"Atchoo!"

Towa sniffed and scratched her nose before continuing her dusting. The Niwas, specifically Emiko, enjoyed keeping their stolen art clean. Of course, the basement was small and air flow was limited, so the dust had a way of circulating about the room.

For now, the Angelbow had been placed in a crate and hidden in the corner. Emiko wanted to put it somewhere prominent in the basement, but she agreed to wait until they were sure the danger was over. Towa had an uneasy feeling every time she passed by it, so she tried to stay away as she dusted everything else. She paused.

"Hello?" She waited before calling again, "Mrs Niwa?" There was no answer. She tried to shrug it off, but she was almost certain she heard someone whimpering. Before she could start again, she heard more noises. Something was moving in the corner. She dropped her feather duster and stared at the crate. It was certainly big enough to hold a person, but it had been sealed shut after the Angelbow was placed inside. She could sense the magic and it made her nervous. She heard a dramatic gasp behind her and spun around.

"Oh, To-To," Emiko said when she spotted Towa, "did you notice?"

"Notice…?"

"Dirt," Emiko stated as she wiped a statue with her finger, "there's dirt clumped here. I never noticed before." She looked up at Towa, "is something wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Um…"

"Wait. Did you hear that?"

Towa nodded and Emiko came to stand beside her. "It's coming from the corner," Towa pointed out.

"I wonder…" Emiko started moving toward the crate, but Towa stayed where she was. After taking three steps, Emiko froze as well. "Maybe Dark should investigate."

"You're probably right. I sense a lot of magic over there."

Emiko turned to leave, but stopped when they both heard crying. "It sounds like a child." Her maternal instincts overran her anxiety and she grabbed a crowbar to start prying the crate's top off. Towa ignored her own feelings and went to help.

They got the lid off and Emiko grabbed a nearby flashlight. She turned it on and looked inside. "To-To, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

OOOOOOOO

"Daisuke, sweetie, would you come down here, please?"

Daisuke leaned over in his chair and saw his mom peeking out from the basement entrance. He put down his pencil and went to her. "What is it, mom?"

"This is going to be a little…weird."

"What do you mean?" Daisuke asked, "did something happen?"

"You'll see…but I think Dark should see it first."

Daisuke nodded and thought of Riku, but his own curiosity got in the way of his feelings. "I don't think I can change into Dark right now. Is it…very important that he see it first?"

"Well, I'm not sure what it is, but it's big," Emiko replied gravely. Daisuke was not used to his mother being this serious. He decided to try again and changed his curiosity into excitement. Once he had succeeded, it was easy to direct that excitement toward seeing Riku again. The next time he opened his eyes, he was seeing through Dark's.

"What's this about?" the thief asked nonchalantly. Emiko motioned for him to follow and he complied.

The basement's usual silence was disrupted by sounds of laughter. Dark spotted Towa sitting cross-legged on the hard floor with her back turned to him. When she sensed his presence, she turned to look at him.

"What did you do, Dark?" she asked. She was grinning, but her voice had that tone. Dark ignored the question and came to stand behind her. He peeked over her head and what he saw made him nearly lose his balance.

"What…is that?"

"We were hoping you knew," Emiko replied.

A small boy, no older than three years of age, hugged his leg tenderly. Dark tensed, clenching his teeth. The little boy didn't seem to mind the disgusted look on his face. He buried his face in his pant leg and giggled.

The boy had straight hair and bangs of a purple color a little lighter than Dark's. That was not what worried him. The child's amber eyes looked painfully familiar, but most of all, it was his small, white wings that made him anxious and angry all at once.

"Get it off me," he growled, "get rid of it!"

"He's just a child," Towa protested.

"I wouldn't care if it was a puppy," Dark replied stubbornly, "can't you see? Whatever it is, it must have come from Krad."

"Well," Emiko remarked thoughtfully, "that explains it."

"Explains what?" Dark demanded.

"His friend, of course!" Towa stood up, holding a second child. She showed him to Dark.

The other boy was blond, but his hair resembled Dark's in its natural style and thickness. His eyes were the same color of purple as the thief's and his wings were black. He was slightly smaller in stature than the first and had a more timid attitude.

"If that one came from Krad," Emiko began, "this one must have come from you. But I don't think that's the case. I mean, look at them; they have things in common with both of you. They look like they could be your children if you and Krad found some way to—"

"Don't even say that," Dark exclaimed with a grimace.

"Ok, sorry. But if you don't know what they are, then how do we know Krad had anything to do with this?"

"This must be some sort of prank," Dark stated, pulling his leg away from the first boy. He paused and glared at the two women.

The little boy giggled and hugged Dark's leg again, to the thief's displeasure. Emiko laughed at him, "don't be silly, Dark. Why would we do something like this?" She knelt down and picked up the first little boy. "I wonder what name would suit you, little one."

"What do you mean 'name'?" Dark asked incredulously, "we can't keep them."

"Look at this face," Emiko cooed, "how can you not love it?"

"Easily."

Emiko scowled at him, "We can't just get rid of them."

"Won't you at least find out what they are before you fall in love with them?"

"What's going on down here?"

Emiko grinned, "Kosuke! What do you think?"

Kosuke froze and stared. "Is that—wait, what do I think about what?"


	6. Chapter 6

"We can research this all we want…but there will always be some things only a Hikari would know." Kosuke closed his laptop and sighed. "The Angelbow must have some sort of secret function," he explained. Emiko held on of the boys and Towa held the other. Both had been given some of Daisuke's old toddler clothes, which Emiko had kept, much to Daisuke's embarrassment.

"I can ask Hiwatari," Daisuke volunteered, "he probably knows more about it than we do."

"That's a bad idea," Dark warned him.

"Probably; he is the one who found out about it in the first place," Kosuke agreed.

"Um…well, one second," Daisuke replied. 'What's wrong, Dark?'

"If you tell Hiwatari about it, Krad will know," Dark explained, "he's probably still pissed off about before. He might start plotting something."

'Dark, are you worried about them?' Daisuke asked. He didn't mean to sound like he was teasing, but a little amusement made it into his voice.

"Of course not," Dark answered indignantly, "but they have wings, right? We can safely assume they have some sort of magical ability as well. Krad has enough magic at his disposal as it is, don't you think?"

'But if we don't ask him…'

"Don't just ask him outright. It'll make him suspicious," the thief suggested, "give him a story. Make it convincing, too."

'But! I can't trick Hiwatari! He's so smart,' Daisuke complained.

Dark sighed angrily, "I'll help you out, then. Just make sure you never tell him about those kids."

'Fine.' Daisuke addressed his father, "I'll ask him tomorrow at school. Dark wants you and mom to keep them secret, though."

"Oh, we can keep a secret," Emiko assured him mischievously. She ruffled the purple hair of the bolder child. "I still think they need names," she said, "and Dark's their daddy." She winked.

"She's enjoying this a little too much," Dark muttered.

'She has a point, though,' Daisuke replied, 'we need something to call them.'

"Just call them something simple," Dark suggested, "they won't be staying here too long."

'You hope.'

"Whatever gets you through the day, Daisuke. Call one Kuro and the other Shiro."

'Um…which one?'

"It doesn't matter to me."

Daisuke sighed. 'You could be a little nicer. None of this is their fault.' Dark didn't reply. Daisuke decided to leave him be and hoped he just needed time. "Dark says Kuro and Shiro," he said aloud.

Emiko frowned, "Black and White? Is he sure? They're pretty plain names." The boy paused to give Dark the time to speak up. When he didn't, Daisuke nodded. Emiko lifted the little blond boy. "Is this one Kuro, then? He's the one with black wings."

"He didn't say." Emiko scoffed indignantly and hugged the blond. Daisuke put on an unsure smile, "I'm sure he'll be fine in a few days, especially once we know how this happened."

"Well," Emiko said, sighing, "I guess we get to choose. This one is Kuro." She patted the head of the other boy, "and he's Shiro for his white wings." No one disagreed with her decision.

"It's getting late," Kosuke stated after checking the time, "they need somewhere to sleep."

Daisuke glanced at the sofa, then at the two boys. He could tell the others thought the same way he did. No one thought it was right to make them sleep on the sofa, but they had no other options. "They can sleep in my bed for now," Daisuke volunteered.

"Seriously?" Dark complained.

'They're little kids, Dark,' Daisuke explained, 'the sofa isn't as soft as my bed.' Dark sighed in response. Daisuke smiled at his mother and laughed a little, "just remember to turn off all the traps."

OOOOOOOOO

Daisuke woke up later than he should have. Without further delay, he leapt off the sofa and ran to his room to get dressed. He stopped when he remembered why he hadn't slept in his room that night. He touched the knob gently and turned it as quietly as he could manage. Once he had it open wide enough, he stuck his head in to make sure he hadn't disturbed the room's occupants. The bed was empty.

"Huh?" He stepped inside and glanced around the entire room. The children were gone. "Oh no," he exclaimed, holding his head.

"Relax, Daisuke," Dark muttered, "if they're anything like me, they're fine."

Daisuke sighed. "If they're anything like you? That's what I was worried about." He tugged at his hair. "Oh, they could be anywhere!" He waited for Dark to say something. When he didn't, Daisuke frowned indignantly, "don't you care at all? You're the one who said they would be dangerous if Krad got to them." Dark laughed and that only made him angrier.

"Seriously, Daisuke, settle down. Standing in your room freaking out isn't going to do any good, is it?"

"No," Daisuke admitted with a sigh. He went to his closet, "I'll just get dressed and look for them."

"You'll be late for school."

"I don't care! Geez, Dark! I didn't know you were that heartless!"

Dark chuckled, "ok, ok. Get dressed, then."

Daisuke threw his closet door open and searched for his school uniform. "Oh, no," he whispered, "I can't find my uniform!" Dark laughed again. "What is so funny!?"

"Oho, don't mind me."

Daisuke stood up straight and folded his arms. "Dark, do you know something I don't?"

Dark snickered. "Daisuke, I'm sure I know many things you don't."

"You know what I mean!"

"Well, I know your watch is missing."

Daisuke gasped and looked at his wrist, "oh my god! You're right! I didn't notice before." When Dark laughed once again, Daisuke put on a determined scowl. "What did you do?"

"Daisuke, I'm hurt," Dark replied in an amused tone, "you know I don't steal watches…or clothes." Daisuke sighed and put his hands on his hips to think. Dark let him think for a while before interrupting, "are you really that thick?"

Daisuke scoffed. "Oh, and I suppose you know what happened."

"I have a pretty good guess." Dark waited for him to come to the conclusion himself, but soon realized Daisuke was expecting him to continue. He sighed. "You're no fun. Listen, I don't steal clothes or watches, but that doesn't mean your school uniform wasn't decorated with a pretty color of red or that your watch wasn't shiny."

"What are you saying?"

"Think about it. Who would want to take something that was visually interesting, but worth almost nothing like your school uniform?"

"Um…"

"Daisuke, please."

Daisuke sighed and glanced around his room again. His eyes fell on his bed and he gasped. "You mean…a little kid?"

"Bravo."

"But where would they take my stuff?"

"The same place we put the things we 'borrow'. Back home. They aren't used to this house, so it's probably not home for them. We found them in the basement with the Angelbow, right?"

"Of course!" Daisuke dashed out of his room and into the basement. He found both Kuro and Shiro hiding in the corner with the Angelbow's crate. He didn't see his school uniform, but Shiro was playing with his watch. He knelt down and smiled kindly. "Shiro, can I have my watch back, please?"

The little white-winged boy giggled at him and put the watch in his mouth.

"AH! No!" Daisuke grabbed at Shiro, but the tiny boy ran away from him and behind another crate. "Hey!" Dark laughed and Kuro giggled from where he sat on the floor. "Oh, this is your fault," Daisuke complained to the thief, "why did they have to be like you?" Daisuke paused when he thought of something. "Wait, you can tell him to give it back."

"Me?"

"You're basically his dad, Dark. And he likes you, remember? Please!"

"Whatever," Dark agreed while he took over. He smirked, "of course, this means I get to have a little fun before school."

"Wh-what!?"

"I'm kidding, Daisuke…but you owe me." Dark strode over to the crate and folded his arms. "Shiro," he said in a commanding voice, "come out here. RIGHT. NOW." There was rustling behind the crate before Shiro peeked out timidly. He lowered his head and emerged completely before extending the watch to Dark. Dark took it with a stern look on his face and stuck it in the pocket of Daisuke's pants. He glared at the little boy. "Shiro," he said.

Shiro looked up him with his big, golden eyes and whimpered.

Dark only laughed. "You've got a lot to learn," he stated, "never hand over one of your targets just because someone asked you to, got it?"

"What are you saying!?" Daisuke exclaimed, "next time he takes my things, I'll never get them back!"

"Oh, right." Dark looked down at Shiro again, "one more thing." The boy watched him expectantly as he paused for emphasis. "No stealing from your family." Shiro nodded obediently and Dark patted him on the head. "Maybe you're not so bad after all."


	7. Chapter 7

Daisuke finally located his school uniform after a few minutes of searching the basement and it only made him later than he already was. He skipped a few aspects of his usual morning routine and rushed out the door while he was still putting on his pack.

His teacher did not appreciate his tardiness and she penalized him. He felt like the day would only get worse, especially when it came time to deal with more important issues. He turned his attention inward while his instructor continued her lesson. 'Dark, you need to do something about those kids,' he thought, 'this can't keep happening.'

Dark scoffed, "Did you not see me scold him? I'm working on it."

'Alright,' Daisuke replied, 'I just needed to hear that.'

After a few seconds of silence, Dark finally spoke up, "Daisuke, you're anxious about something. More anxious than usual."

Daisuke blinked and smiled. 'You actually care?'

"Don't get used to it." Daisuke avoided sighing aloud and rolled his eyes instead. Dark ignored him, "so, what's your problem?"

'It's just…after we got out of the Angelbow, I wanted everything to be normal again. It looks like things are just getting worse.' Dark hummed his acknowledgement and Daisuke waited for his advice.

"Advice?" Dark asked, almost laughing, "you're asking too much."

'But Dark,' Daisuke complained, 'why did you ask if you didn't want to help? Faking sympathy is just as bad as having no sympathy at all!'

"Alright, alright," Dark responded with a slightly annoyed tone, "just settle down, ok? Take it one step at a time. Step one: get more information about the Angelbow from Hiwatari. Easy."

'Says you. You don't have to think up a lie to tell him. He's so smart.'

"Damn, Daisuke, that's the second time you've used that excuse. Just ask him out already." Daisuke sat in silent disapproval as Dark laughed at his expense. Once the thief had had his fun, he continued, "alright, listen. He knows we took the Angelbow and that it's very dangerous, so we don't have to tell him a complete lie."

'What do you mean?'

"All we need to do is avoid mentioning the kids. Just say something weird happened. He shouldn't have to question it, but if he does, then you can tell him you're not even sure what happened. Tell him that you need the information to figure out why this thing has happened. That would be one hundred percent truth."

'What if he doesn't believe me?'

"If he doesn't, he's not as smart as you think. A guy like him should know we don't make this shit up."

'Well, alright, but if it starts getting tricky, you have to help me out, ok?'

"Of course. Did you think I would let myself enjoy watching you squirm under the pressure when the situation is this serious?" Daisuke wasn't sure whether he thought that or not and decided not to say anything. Unfortunately, Dark understood his silence all too well. "Wow, Daisuke," he said angrily, "you really think I'm that selfish?"

'Well…'

"Oh, shut up."

Daisuke sighed quietly and glanced at the clock. He was eager to get out of class, but he hoped it didn't look too obvious. The last thing he needed was more punishment from his teacher. He rested his chin in his hand and discreetly looked in Satoshi's direction. The sun reflected off his friend's spectacles, making his eyes impossible to read. Daisuke wondered if he was looking at him. But why should he? He doesn't know anything…or does he? What if he knew all along what would happen when they stole the Angelbow? Daisuke didn't want to think about it. Still, he knew it was just his anxiety talking to him. He knew Satoshi didn't want to harm him and that he was no friend of Krad's. Assuring himself only gave him more doubts. What if there was some other reason Satoshi would want the kids to exist? A new fear crept into his mind: what if this was all part of a plan to capture Dark? Sometimes Dark could get on his nerves, but Daisuke had still grown fond of his alter ego. He didn't want Dark to be taken away.

'Dark,' he thought.

"Yeah?"

'What if Satoshi was behind all this?'

"I've already thought about that," Dark stated, "and it's highly unlikely."

'You thought about it?'

"Don't forget, I could hear everything you were thinking. You know Hiwatari doesn't like Krad and that should have been enough for you. The commander would know creating the kids would provide Krad with an opportunity to enhance his own power. He wouldn't risk that in an attempt to capture me."

'Are you sure?''

"That's right," Dark said thoughtfully to himself, "you weren't there." He addressed Daisuke again, "the whole time you were stuck in that alternate world, I was separated from your body. Hiwatari had all the opportunity he could hope for, especially with me losing my powers. He didn't take advantage of that opportunity because he knew I was the only one capable of rescuing you and stopping Krad."

'I guess you're right.' Daisuke smiled to himself; Dark's honesty about Satoshi was refreshing.

"But that doesn't mean I like him…at all."

OOOOOO

Daisuke stood outside the classroom door, waiting for his friend to exit. He took a deep breath to steady himself. This was no ordinary conversation he would have. He would have to be evasive and avoid suspicion at the same time. He was used to sneaking physically, but not verbally. Not like this, anyway.

"You want to talk to me, don't you?"

Daisuke jumped in a start and spun around to face Satoshi. "Y-you surprised me."

"I can tell."

"Well…um…how did you know?"

Satoshi pushed his glasses up, hiding his eyes with the sun's glare once again. "I hate it when he does that," Dark remarked bitterly. Daisuke tried not to smile.

"It was obvious," Satoshi explained, "you checked the time every few minutes. I also caught you glancing at me."

"Oh…"

"What you have to say must be important," Hiwatari continued, "you look nervous."

'I can't do this,' Daisuke complained to Dark, 'he can see right through me!'

"Don't just stand there staring at him," Dark replied, "you'll look like even more of an idiot."

"Uh…well," Daisuke said aloud, "it's about…what happened a few nights ago." He leaned in closer, "you know, the item."

"Oh, that," Satoshi's expression and tone didn't change, but Daisuke knew he understood. "We shouldn't talk in the hall; we're in the way."

"O-of course." Without saying anything else, Satoshi turned and walked away. "Uh.." Daisuke hesitated, but soon realized his friend meant for him to follow. He quickly caught up with him.

Satoshi led him out of the school and to a less populated area behind one of the walls. "Talk quietly," he warned, "if someone finds us here, you might get in trouble."

"I might? What about you?" Satoshi didn't reply, but gave him a look. That particular look reminded him of his friend's time chasing Dark. Satoshi had connections among the police; of course he wouldn't be in any trouble. "Oh, right."

"You needed to ask me about the Angelbow, right?"

"Uh, yeah…is there…no, what's…"

"Come on, Daisuke, we talked about this," Dark interrupted.

'Let me think about my wording!'

"Just hurry up!"

Satoshi watched him patiently with that blank expression. Daisuke sighed and stood up straight. "Sorry," he said, "what I meant to say is…what was the purpose of the Angelbow in the first place? I mean, it must have some sort of function, right?"

Satoshi seemed to get more interested, "did something happen?"

"It's nothing big," Daisuke lied, "just a little odd…thing. We had it locked up in a crate so no one tampered with it, so it must be something it's supposed to do. What's it supposed to do?"

The other boy studied him momentarily and Daisuke wondered if he trusted him. Finally, he replied, "the Angelbow borrows things and tries to mimic them, but the copies it makes are always imperfect. It borrowed Krad's memories of the real world in order to make its copy. Because it's an imperfect piece, it couldn't possibly make a world like ours. That's why it was so different. Of course, Krad had a hand in it. Does that help?"

'I don't know if that's what we needed,' Daisuke told Dark.

After a few short seconds, Dark spoke up, "ask him what would happen if it took two things and tried to copy them at the same time."

"Uh, what would happen if it tried to copy two things at once?"

Satoshi raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask. "In that case, it would be possible for some parts of one object to be mixed with parts of the other object. The result would be a hybrid of the two objects…maybe even two hybrids."

"That was perfect," Dark stated.

'Perfect,' Daisuke repeated nervously, 'do you think he might suspect what happened?'

"How could he? It's a crazy idea in the first place." Dark thought quickly and gave him another order, "ask if it can affect the physical world. Watch your wording. Don't say anything about it adding objects."

"Can the Angelbow affect things here in this world?"

Daisuke tried to hide his anxiety as Satoshi paused. The other boy spoke slowly, "yes, it can."

"He's getting very suspicious," Dark noted quickly.

Daisuke smiled to mask his feelings, 'What should I do?'

"Find some way to end the conversation. He told us enough."

"Wow," Daisuke said aloud, "I guess we should be careful with it. More careful than we first thought."

Satoshi appeared to dismiss most of his suspicion for the moment, "yes, you should. Keep things from interacting with it, but be even more careful with people, especially with 'you know who'. Even I don't know what would happen if it tried to mimic something—or someone—magical."

"Thanks," Daisuke said lightly, "I'll keep that in mind."

Satoshi nodded, "have a nice day, Daisuke." With that, he left.

Daisuke heaved a sigh of relief, "I felt like he was going to catch me any second!"

"He doesn't know enough," Dark assured him, "relax."

"NIWA!"

Daisuke yelped and spotted Takeshi running toward him. "T-Takeshi! Were you spying on me?"

Takeshi stopped in from of him, "I saw you talking to Hiwatari, but that's all. Did you get him to say anything about his partnership with Dark?"

"PARTNERSHIP!" Dark exclaimed angrily.

Daisuke winced and answered, "no, not yet. I need more time."

"Alright, but make sure you get that proof. We're going to be famous if we can expose this!"


	8. Chapter 8

Daisuke jumped through the open front door and slammed it behind him. He peeked out the window to make sure he wasn't followed.

Dark was not impressed, "What was that?"

"I just wanted to make sure Takeshi wasn't still spying on me," Daisuke protested.

"You know, Daisuke," the thief stated thoughtfully, "all of your friends are creeps. What does that say about you?"

"Are you saying I'm a creep?" the younger boy responded indignantly.

"Not necessarily. I'm just wondering if that means you like being spied upon, surprised in dark places, or pinned against walls."

"I do not! Besides, I'm not friends with them because they can be creepy. They're nice people." Daisuke thought about it shortly and added, "most of the time."

"Whatever you say, Daisuke."

Daisuke ignored Dark's sarcastic tone and took his pack off his shoulders. He set it down next to the sofa he slept on the night before and found himself physically frozen for a few seconds when he saw who was waiting for him.

"Shiro? Is that you?"

"Daisuke," Shiro replied proudly, pronouncing his name perfectly.

"Wow…I was sure you two couldn't talk at all," Daisuke stated. He studied the small boy and decided something was definitely different about him. "Shiro, how did you get so big?"

"We get big!" Kuro chimed in from the other side of the room. He had also grown since the morning.

"But…but how?" Daisuke directed the question at himself rather than the two children, knowing they were still too young to provide him with an answer.

"Oh, Daisuke! You're home late," Towa greeted him as she entered the room. She clasped her hands together, "aren't they adorable? And they're growing like rabbits!"

"Um…like rabbits?"

"Oh, you know what I mean."

"How are they growing so fast?"

"Fast? Is it too fast?" Towa touched her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe it is a little quick," she said, "I haven't exactly raised children before."

"It's very fast," Daisuke stated, "it's like…like…"

'Like they've aged two years in just a few hours?' Dark offered.

"Yeah…"

"'Yeah'? What were you going to say?" Towa asked eagerly.

"Never mind, To-To, it isn't important now. I need to talk with Dark," Daisuke answered. Towa nodded patiently. 'Do you know what's going on?'Daisuke thought.

"How would I?"Dark replied, "I don't know any more than you do for once." Daisuke sighed and stared at the twins, trying to think of an explanation. "Unless…"

'Unless what?' Daisuke demanded.

"Unless that's part of the imperfection. Krad and I never age…maybe the Angelbow made them age quicker than humans."

'But that would mean…'

"It would mean they'd be your age in just a few days…then they'd reach adulthood. Before we know it, they would be on their death beds."

"Don't say that!" Daisuke shrieked aloud. Towa, Shiro, and Kuro stared at him wide-eyed. Daisuke ignored their stares and silenced himself again. 'That's horrible, Dark,' he said.

"Yeah, it is…I was starting to like Shiro."

'That's not why it's horrible!'

"I know, Daisuke, but there isn't anything we can do. Unless, of course, you thought it would be merciful to drown them while they're still too little to understand."

'You can't be serious!'

"I'm NOT serious, Daisuke. At least not about the second part. But think about it, what can we do?"

Daisuke sighed and thought about it. 'I know,' he said at last, 'I can ask Satoshi about it.'

"What are you going to say?" Dark demanded, "'Hey, Hiwatari! Hypothetically speaking, how would you lengthen the life span of two tiny angels randomly poofed into existence?' Daisuke, that would be exactly what we were trying to avoid today."

'But…there must be some way to help them.'

"How about you postpone the running off and doing something without a plan until after you've talked about it with your family? Honestly, Daiki is more level-headed about these things than you are….I hope."

Daisuke smiled and replied teasingly, 'what's wrong, Dark? Afraid of a little adventure?'

"HA! I'm all for an adventure. I'd just like it to be one that doesn't end with us telling Krad all about the tiny boxes of pure magic just waiting to be opened. I'm getting sick of that guy."

'You're just mad because you can't kill him.'

"And whose fault is that?"

'Not mine, if that's what you're saying! Even if Hiwatari wasn't my friend, it wouldn't be right to kill him!'

"Alright, alright," Dark said in an exasperated tone, "you've already made me stay awake during school, my napping time. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to get ready for our job tonight."

'Oh, fine…I promise I'll wait for grandpa.'

"Is everything alright, Daisuke?" Towa asked at last after waiting anxiously.

Daisuke opened his mouth, but stopped himself when he remembered his promise. "I'm ok," he said, "I'll tell you later."

His response seemed to put Towa at ease and she smiled warmly. "They're going to grow up to be handsome young men," she said joyfully. Daisuke only smiled back before retreating to his room.


	9. Chapter 9

A young boy looking about the age of twelve opened his eyes and yawned. He sat up in his mattress on the floor and looked at his brother next to him. He was still asleep, of course. He always slept later. His friend was also still asleep in his bed on the other side of the room. The boy decided to let them continue dreaming. It was the weekend, after all.

He got off the mattress and glanced at the mirror facing the door. He wanted to know what changes he had undergone overnight, but he was afraid to find out. He walked to the mirror, but closed his eyes before coming into its view. He sighed and opened his eyes. He smiled at what he saw. He was the same height he had been the night before and his blond hair had not changed in length. It was a relief. He did not want to give himself false hope, but he could not help thinking he might have longer to live than he thought. Of course, no one told him he would die soon, but he could see the worry in their eyes and he was smarter than they thought he was.

He stared at his reflection a few seconds longer then let his curiosity get the best of him. He dashed down stairs and into the living room. "Kosuke? Emiko?" he called. No one responded. He sighed angrily and wished he was not such an early riser. He wanted to get all his questions answered promptly, but he also didn't want to wake anyone up. He convinced himself waiting a few more minutes wouldn't hurt him and went to the kitchen for breakfast.

OOOOOOO

Daisuke sat up and put his feet on the floor. He glanced across the room. As expected, Kuro was already gone and Shiro was still asleep. Over the last few days, the twins had developed clearly different personalities. Daisuke had already gotten attached to them and considered them his friends. He tried not to remind himself how quickly they were approaching their deaths, but the realization faced him every time he woke up. Every morning, the two would be older than the night before. Last night, they looked only a little younger than he was. Daisuke was afraid of what he would see when he went down stairs. Would Kuro be taller than him today?

The Niwas had been unable to think of a solution to the problem facing their twins. After three days had passed, the boys were already approaching puberty. They did not give up on their search, but they were quickly running out of time. They never told them anything was wrong, but Daisuke was sure they were aware they were different. After all, they weren't stupid. Daisuke stood up and stretched. He enjoyed being able to stand in his room without worrying about any randomly placed traps. Ever since the twins started staying in his room with him, his mother stopped trying to trap him every morning. He savored those mornings, knowing it would end once his friends were gone.

The Niwas had kept the twins inside and taught them very little. They all knew Krad's personality was inside them somewhere and the fear that it would surface kept them from allowing the twins to interact with the world outside. The family had secretly decided that keeping them from the evil in the world would be the best way to prevent Krad's traits from presenting themselves. So far, whether it was due to their precautions or not, the boys had shown themselves to be kind, care-free, and a little mischievous in a harmless way.

Shiro continued to grow faster than his brother and was physically stronger. He idolized his 'father' and seemed to inherit most of the thief's personality. He enjoyed taking part in one of Dark's favorite pastimes—teasing Daisuke. He also liked hearing stories about Dark's heists, which Daisuke was forced to tell; Dark was rarely interested in story time. Kuro was always the smarter of the twins. His intelligence often caused Daisuke to wonder if parts of Satoshi made it into the mix that created them. Kuro was less outgoing than Shiro and could even be described as timid. He was not as interested in stealing as Shiro was, but he tried to pay attention to the stories and he seemed to hope it would impress Dark. Kuro was also more respectful than Shiro and rarely teased anyone. Daisuke knew it was unlikely that was a result of Dark's influence. The boys were both fond of Dark, but even fonder of each other. The thief was almost annoyed by that. He seemed to think they should dislike each other like he and Krad did.

Daisuke glanced at Shiro when he heard him sigh in his sleep. 'Are we ever going to tell them, Dark?'

Dark groaned at him, "Isn't it a little early to start worrying about something like that?"

'What do you mean?' Daisuke exclaimed, 'they're people!'

"I know that," Dark responded angrily, "but that doesn't mean I want you to drag me down first thing in the morning."

Daisuke frowned, 'sorry, Dark. I just don't understand how you can be so relaxed about this.'

"It's hard to explain," Dark replied, "I don't sense the urgency."

'What do you mean?'

"I don't feel like they're in danger. It could be the effects of the Angelbow, but I sense everything will be fine."

'Why didn't you mention that earlier!'

"Because I could be wrong! I only said it now because I don't want you to keep bugging me about it."

Daisuke sighed, 'okay. I'll stop calling you a heartless jerk.'

Dark scoffed. "Oh, that's a relief," he stated with a hint of sarcasm. Daisuke put his worries out of his mind before going down stairs to greet Kuro the way he always greeted him—with a smile.

"Good morning, Daisuke," Kuro said cheerfully when he spotted his friend in the doorway. His open smile was a refreshing change from his usual introverted nature. He was almost proud of himself when he asked, "notice anything new?"

Daisuke stared at him momentarily before widening his eyes. "No, actually," he replied at last.

Kuro got up from his seat at the table and grinned. "I feel just like I did yesterday," he stated happily.

"That's great," Daisuke replied with a smile. He wanted to avoid letting Kuro know it was a relief to see him the way he was. If it leaked out, Kuro would figure out the problem easily.

Kuro stared at him in a way that made Daisuke wonder if he was hiding something. His smile slowly faded away and he looked at the floor thoughtfully. Daisuke stayed quiet, waiting for him to speak up. Finally, he did, "do you think I'm going to die, Daisuke?"

Daisuke let out a startled gasp, "what? Why would you think that?"

"Well, obviously, we all will die some day, but I'm going to die sooner than I should, aren't I?"

Daisuke frowned, 'How did he know?'

Dark chuckled, "Well, it doesn't take a genius to see yourself aging visibly everyday then look at your friend and see him the same as he was the day before. He was bound to figure it out sooner or later."

Kuro persisted, but kept his eyes on the floor, "It is true, isn't it?"

Daisuke tried to get Kuro to look at him. "How long have you been worrying about that?"

"How long would I have to worry about it?" Kuro rubbed his arm nervously and looked away, this time at the wall. "I started thinking about it yesterday, but that's like a few years for me. Were you ever going to say anything?"

"I was…eventually." 'He never wants to look at my face,' Daisuke told Dark, almost feeling hurt.

"He gets on my nerves sometimes," Dark thought, disregarding Daisuke's complaint, "when he's not hiding behind the other one, he's got that strange look about him. I don't know if he's keeping something from me or if it's just the way he is."

Daisuke ignored him, "Kuro, you looked happy when you asked me if I saw anything different. Do you know why you haven't aged today?"

"Of course not," the small boy answered, blushing, "but I was hoping…" Kuro looked as if he were about to say something more, but shut his mouth when he changed his mind.

Dark groaned, "he did it again." The thief sighed, "I tried getting him to be more like Shiro, but he's just hopeless."

'He's just different,' Daisuke corrected him, 'if he wants to say something, he'll say it.' He smiled at Kuro, "we can ask my parents what they think later today." Kuro nodded.

"Daisuke! I want to go outside today."

Daisuke spun around, "oh, good morning, Shiro."

"Morning," Shiro answered quickly before continuing, "Listen, we're getting sick of this house, aren't we, Kuro?" Kuro glanced at his brother for approval before nodding.

"It's not my fault," Daisuke complained, "Dark doesn't think it's a good idea to let you go running around outside."

"Don't pin this on me," Dark jumped in, "It's not like I'm the demanding old geezer killing everyone's fun."

'Well, you are their dad.'

"And that makes me boring and overbearing?"

'I didn't say that!'

Shiro folded his arms stubbornly, "dad told me yesterday we could go outside."

"I…uh…" Daisuke turned on Dark, 'Tell me you didn't!'

"I think you were asleep," Dark replied.

'But you said not to do it! You can't just go promising things like that!'

"Hey, if you have to go, live it up while you can."

'What is that supposed to mean!'

"I like the kid, Daisuke. If he has to die, I say let him live while his heart's still beating! At least I didn't say anything about taking him with us tonight."

'I guess we can—WAIT! Why say that? Were you actually considering it?'

"I might have been. I decided against it, remember?"

Daisuke sighed impatiently, 'Sometimes, Dark—'

"Everything alright?" Shiro interrupted, the defiant look still on his face.

"Um…yeah, everything's fine," Daisuke replied.

Shiro grinned, "great! Let's go out after breakfast." Without further debate, he strolled off to the kitchen.

"But! I didn't say…" Daisuke glanced at Kuro with pleading eyes. The other boy only shrugged and went to follow his brother. 'This is your fault, Dark! What if something happens? What will I do? What if I have to say something?'

"I'll be there too, won't I? Relax!"


	10. Chapter 10

For a boy taking his first trip outside, Shiro wasn't nearly as uncontrollable as Daisuke had feared. They had all agreed that if any questions were asked, Daisuke would introduce the twins as friends from out of town. The story fit nicely, especially with the occasional 'ooh' one would expect from someone seeing the city for the first time. They would also avoid saying anything about them being related. It was a good cover, but Daisuke's worries were far from settled. What would he do if Satoshi showed up? Would their story fool him too?

Daisuke was pulled from his train of thought when Shiro yanked his sleeve. "Daisuke," the younger boy exclaimed, "is that…?"

Daisuke looked where Shiro was pointing. "The museum?"

"It is! I want to go inside!" Shiro began to run ahead of him.

"But why?" Daisuke called.

Shiro sighed and came back, "why not? I've heard all the stories and now I finally have a chance to see where they happened! And then there's tonight. I mean, why wouldn't we want to see?" he grabbed Kuro's shoulder, "am I right?"

Kuro had been silent throughout the entire walk until his brother forced him to reply, "Um, yes, I suppose."

Daisuke glanced at the museum then back at the twins, "well…"

Shiro grinned, "that wasn't a no."

"It wasn't a yes either," Kuro pointed out in a quiet voice.

'What do I say, Dark!' Daisuke asked helplessly.

"I don't see a problem with it," Dark replied casually.

"Oh, well…ok, I guess," Daisuke said aloud. That widened Shiro's grin. "Just…don't touch anything," Daisuke added quickly, "and most importantly, no stealing."

"Pity," Dark mumbled from a corner of his mind, "I want to see what he can do."

Daisuke sighed, "let's go."

OOOOOOOOOOO

Satoshi weaved his way through the crowds on the street as he made his way to the downtown art museum. He did not want to put up with the meaningless small talk, so he tried to avoid being noticed in case one of his classmates happened to be in his path. He acted with more caution than normal, knowing Takeshi had been showing more interest in him lately. He travelled quickly; a new warning note called his attention to the museum's security.

It had been a few days since Daisuke questioned him about the Angelbow. At the time, he thought about it quite a bit. However, after a few days of the usual, the matter seemed less and less important. For the time being, he tucked it away in the back of his mind, but never disregarded it completely, especially after the Daisuke's change in behavior. His friend had always acted a little nervous in his presence, but he had become noticeably more cautious. Satoshi could tell he was trying to hide it and, for the most part, he was doing a good job of it. Unfortunately for the little thief, he was naturally very observant. Regardless, he avoided mentioning the Angelbow or anything related to it. He only wished he had known how dangerous it was beforehand.

It did not take him long to come within view of the museum. He stopped abruptly when he spotted Daisuke speaking with two boys he had never met. He suspected it was normal for his friend to visit his target before each theft, but he never caught him in the act before. Still, it wasn't Daisuke drawing his attention. Something about his new friends seemed strangely familiar. He narrowed his eyes and studied the two with peeked interest. Even after his examination, he was certain he had never seen them before. Despite his conviction, there was a strange feeling in his heart and his head.

He moved closer to the wall of a nearby building when Daisuke and his friends started walking again. He was about to follow when they stopped again. The shortest of the younger boys conversed quietly with Daisuke before the red head pointed toward the restroom. The small one made his way to the bathroom while the others proceeded into the museum. Satoshi smiled at his luck; he had been hoping for a chance to meet them without Daisuke around.


	11. Chapter 11

Kuro entered the restroom and proceeded to wash his hands. His habit was inconvenient at times, but he couldn't help himself. He carefully spread the soap over every inch of his hands and scrubbed under his fingernails. He rinsed hastily with the fear of getting left behind lingering in the back of his mind. He needed to catch up with Daisuke and Shiro quickly; every second he was alone made him more nervous. He would have asked one of them to accompany him, but he didn't want to be a burden, especially with a strong, independent brother to compete with. He dried his hands and turned to leave, but stopped when he spotted three bigger boys standing around him.

The group wore loose clothing with a few holes sealed with safety pins. All three had effective, intimidating expressions on their faces. Kuro tried not to show his anxiety. "Excuse me," he said with a polite, yet forced smile as he started to make his way toward the exit.

The one closest to him grinned and put his arm out to block his escape, "hey. You were with that purple-haired kid, weren't you?"

"You mean Shiro? He's my br— friend."

"Your boyfriend? Well, well."

Kuro laughed quietly, "no, just my friend."

"All the same." When the one in front moved closer, the other two smiled. Kuro guessed he was the leader of their little gang. "We need you to take him a message."

"Oh," Kuro replied, feeling very relieved, "just tell me what it is and I'll do it right now."

"Tell him to stay away from my girl."

"I…what? Shiro hasn't gone near any girls."

"I saw him smiling at her. I'm going to make sure he gets the message."

Kuro backed up instinctively, "you don't need to follow me if that's what you mean. You can trust me; I'll make him promise not to do it again."

"I'm not going to follow you," the leader said as he cracked a knuckle.

"He needs to learn to stay away from us," one of the other two spoke up.

"Or else," the third added.

Kuro was caught off guard when the leader threw a fist into his gut. He coughed and fell to the floor, stunned. He came to his senses in time to see them close in on him. He pushed himself against the wall in an attempt to put distance between them. "I haven't done anything wrong," he whimpered. The second boy kicked him hard in the face. Kuro held up his hands to cover his bloodied mouth and curled up on the floor, "please stop it!"

"Good, you made him bleed," the leader said cruelly, "that'll make his 'friend' think."

Kuro kept his eyes shut tight as he felt a kick to his back and moaned, "stop it." Two more kicks. Kuro slowly felt his fear being replaced with anger and another feeling he had never experienced before. "Stop," he demanded in a clearer voice. The three boys laughed and kicked him again. "Stop!"

"Wait, wait," the leader spoke up. The others backed off. "What was that?" he asked mockingly. Kuro stood and faced them with a grim expression. "Oh, looks like we're not done with him yet." The first boy swung his fist again. Kuro pivoted and the leader missed.

"I said stop," he said in a casual voice. Suddenly, he felt bolder than he'd ever been as energy filled his body. Before he knew what was happening, his hands were glowing and the three boys began to scream. They fell to the floor, writhing in pain. He found himself with a sick look of satisfaction on his face. "What's wrong?" he said smoothly, "I thought you wanted to teach my friend a lesson."

One of them managed to speak through his tears, "Stop it! Please!"

Kuro gasped when the door to the restroom opened. The strange feeling vanished and his hands stopped glowing. When he realized what he had done and how it made him feel, he was disgusted with himself. He knew he should run before the intruder saw him like that, but his legs refused to move and all he could manage to do was fall to his knees.

The boy entering the restroom was about Daisuke's age, but the look on his face made him look slightly older. His expression didn't change when he saw the boys on the floor in front of Kuro, but he stared at him with critical eyes.

Once his adrenaline rush had subsided, he found himself nearly drained of energy and he worked to catch his breath. "I…didn't mean to," Kuro said weakly. He was telling the truth; the person hurting the boys was not him…at least, he didn't think it was. The three boys managed to get over their pain long enough to get on their feet and flee the restroom.

They were alone. "Who are you?" the other boy asked in a tone that made Kuro suspect he already knew the answer to his question.

The door opened again and Shiro entered, calling for him, "what's taking so—". He spotted his brother. "Kuro!" he exclaimed as he ran to him, "Why are you bleeding? What happened?" Daisuke joined them before Kuro could summon enough courage to respond.

Daisuke noticed the other boy, "Hiwatari-kun, did you see what happened?"

"I'm afraid I came too late," Hiwatari lied. He never took his eyes off Kuro.

Kuro stared at him, wondering what he should think of him. "We should take you to my house," Daisuke stated. Shiro nodded and pulled his brother to his feet.

"May I be of assistance?" Hiwatari asked from his corner, still staring at Kuro with that criticizing look.

Daisuke paused as if he didn't know what to say. At last, he replied, "no, it's ok. My house isn't that far. Thanks for asking."

Daisuke, Shiro, and Kuro left the restroom at a speed Kuro thought was faster than necessary. He looked back as the door closed behind them. He waited to see if the other boy would follow them, but he didn't.

OOOOOOOOO

"Tell me what happened," Dark demanded sternly. They had managed to get back to the house without encountering any other problems. Daisuke's parents were not at home. Kuro dabbed his cut lip with a damp cloth. He was reluctant to look at his father and see the apprehension. Dark always looked at him differently than he looked at Shiro, but he never knew why. After the events of the day, Kuro was afraid the thief knew something about him that he didn't. "Kuro, this is important."

Kuro looked up, but kept his gaze on the wall behind Dark. "They were mad at Shiro because he smiled at a girl," Kuro replied quietly.

"That's all?" Dark scoffed, "so, he did something polite and they attacked you for it?"

"I had no idea," Shiro joined in, feeling guilty, "if I had, I would have been careful about who I look at. I'm sorry, Kuro."

"It's not your fault," Kuro answered. He tried to smile, but stretching his lips aggravated the cut and he relaxed his mouth.

"That's right," Dark added, "those kids thought they were tough guys. They were looking for an excuse to hurt someone and you just happened to be nearby." After a short pause, the thief's eyes narrowed and he asked the question Kuro had been dreading, "how did you get them to leave you alone?" Kuro cringed unintentionally and Dark leaned over him, "what did you do?"

"I…didn't…" Kuro began to have that strange feeling again and forced himself to calm down. He was afraid what would happen if Dark asked a second time. Luckily, he didn't.

"Kuro's the one who got hurt, dad, stop being so mean to him!" Shiro protested.

For the first time in his life, Kuro looked his father in the eye. He saw suspicion, anger, and something else. He could have sworn it was hate, but he knew it wouldn't be right. He had no reason to think the thief hated him. He quickly looked away, but Dark continued to stare at him expectantly. "It was an accident," Kuro admitted at last as he closed his eyes to shut out tears.

His brother moved closer, "what?"

Dark looked as if he knew all along, "Did you hurt them, Kuro?"

Kuro wondered if he should tell them about the supernatural strength he had deep down. For some reason, he felt like Dark didn't trust him. He stayed silent as he wondered what his father would do if he knew what really happened. 'If he doesn't trust me, why should I trust him?' Finally, he responded with a hastily-constructed lie, "no."

"You didn't?" Dark seemed surprised by his answer.

"No, they left me alone because someone else came in. He had a cell phone with him." Kuro hoped desperately he was right about the phone. If Daisuke really knew that boy like he seemed to and he didn't own a cell phone, they would know he was lying.

"Hiwatari," Dark muttered, "sounds like you were lucky".

"Yes," Kuro agreed as he silently congratulated himself.

"I guess we owe this Hiwatari guy a thank you," Shiro stated.

Dark grinned, "you wouldn't be saying that if you knew who he was. Commander Hiwatari's been trying to catch me for a long time."

Shiro jumped up from his seat, "he was 'the commander'!" He laughed and continued excitedly, "He had no idea who we were! That's awesome!"

"Make sure it stays that way," Dark said in a serious tone, "some really bad stuff will happen if he finds out."

Kuro stayed silent as he recalled the way Hiwatari had stared at him. He suspected the commander knew more than Dark thought.


	12. Chapter 12

"It's a good thing Hiwatari-kun was there," Daisuke said cheerfully once Kuro and Shiro left the room. He waited for a response from Dark, but the thief was silent. "What's wrong?"

"I always thought that kid was strange, but now this," Dark murmured.

"Satoshi?"

"Not him. Kuro."

Daisuke frowned, "why don't you like him, Dark? He didn't do anything to you."

"You honestly didn't notice?" Once Daisuke shook his head, Dark sighed angrily, "he was lying. He said something about an accident, but when I asked him if he hurt them, he made up a completely different story. Something was worrying him…it worried him so much that he forgot what he said just a few seconds earlier."

"Why would he lie?"

"I don't know yet."

OOOOOOOOOO

Shiro leaned back on Daisuke's bed while his brother sat on the mattress across the room. He sighed, "too bad we didn't get to see the museum." He caught himself and smiled at his brother, "not that it was your fault or anything. It was getting late anyway." Kuro didn't acknowledge him. He seemed preoccupied with staring at the wall. "Sorry."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Kuro spoke up, "Shiro, I need to tell you something."

Shiro sat up straight, "I'm listening."

"Promise you won't tell dad." Shiro laughed, but Kuro gave him a serious stare and he shut his mouth. The way his brother looked at him made him wonder if it would be wise to make that promise. At last, he smiled and nodded. There was no way Kuro could have done anything that bad. He immediately regretted his decision when he heard what his brother had to say, "I lied."

Shiro frowned, "what do you mean?"

"I did something to those people, Shiro," Kuro admitted in a very low voice, "I think it was some sort of magic."

"No way," Shiro replied, "dad said we can't use magic."

"Maybe he didn't know…or…maybe he lied to us."

Shiro couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stood up, "dad would never lie to me! We can go down and ask him right now, you'll see."

"You said you wouldn't tell him!"

"But this is important…"

"You promised."

Shiro stood facing Kuro, but he couldn't look at him. He was torn between his loyal admiration toward Dark and his love for his brother. He wished Kuro would say he was only kidding, but he knew it wouldn't happen…not with something this serious.

"There's…something else," Kuro began, breaking the silence.

Shiro wasn't sure he wanted to hear what his brother had to say. "Maybe you shouldn't tell me," he replied.

"I'm sorry…"

Kuro looked downward. Shiro could tell he really wanted to say what was on his mind, but he was not one to beg. He sighed, "what is it?"

Kuro looked up again, "I just…want someone else to know. You don't have to remember it or anything…"

"I'll listen," Shiro stated, "go ahead."

"The way it made me feel, Shiro…I was like a completely different person. I actually…" Kuro hesitated.

"You can tell me, Kuro."

"I actually…liked it. I was happy they were hurting." Shiro instinctively backed away and Kuro pulled his knees to his chest to hug them. "I'm sorry."

"Kuro," Shiro began after a thoughtful pause, "I really think you should tell dad. He might be able to help."

Kuro found himself losing control as his anger opened the door in his mind. How many times did he have to remind him? Was his brother really that thick! "You promised, Shiro," he said in a quiet, yet frightening voice.

Shiro backed away again, "Kuro?"

"I would advise against breaking your promise," Kuro continued. As he moved closer to his brother, the odd feeling began to return. Fear emerged and he stopped. "I was…"

Shiro waited during the following minutes of silence before speaking up, "What just happened?"

"I almost…it happened again!" Kuro backed against the wall and held his head, "what's happening to me!"

"Look, Kuro, I won't tell dad if you don't want me to."

Kuro nodded with his face hidden behind his hands. "I'm sorry, Shiro. I think I should go to bed now."


	13. Chapter 13

Shiro woke up to find Kuro still asleep next to him. 'I hope he's alright.' He got out of bed slowly to avoid waking him; his brother's ordeal the day before more than earned him a few extra hours. He put on some comfortable clothes and rushed downstairs to find Daisuke. 'I'm sorry, Kuro.'

"Is Kuro still asleep?" Daisuke asked when he spotted him from the living room. He had managed to get out of bed in time for once and was in his school uniform as he enjoyed his few minutes of freedom before school.

"Yeah," Shiro replied, "I need to talk to dad before he wakes up."

"Oh," Daisuke glanced at the clock and sighed, "I guess I have enough time."

"This must be important," Dark guessed once he came to the surface.

"It's about Kuro," Shiro answered, nodding, "he told me something and I'm scared for him."

Dark kept himself from showing his surprise. Did Kuro tell him the truth? He wondered how so much trust could exist between two creatures created from a mixture of himself and Krad. It must have been strong. The fact that Shiro was breaking that trust told him the truth was something dire. Dark kept his feelings to himself and pretended not to suspect anything, "scared for him? Is he in danger?"

"I don't know, dad, I was hoping you would!"

"Ok, calm down. What did he say?"

Shiro told his father everything, using intricate detail. He decided any detail left out of his narrative could affect Dark's opinion of his brother. He made sure to include a few pieces of his own thoughts; the last thing he wanted to accomplish was making Dark treat Kuro differently. The thief patiently listened to everything he had to say. Once he was finished, he added one last plea, "don't tell Kuro I told you. He was just…scared and he wanted to tell someone. That's what I'm doing…only, I was hoping you'd be able to help him."

"Naturally." Dark hid his new worries deep inside. 'So, we were right in keeping them away from the outside world,' he thought, 'I had no idea it could affect them so quickly.' He crossed his arms and put on a care-free smile. "It was a frightening time for all of us. I'm sure he'll be fine after some rest and a few days of normalcy."

"Are you sure?"

Dark placed a hand on Shiro's shoulder and smiled reassuringly. Daisuke almost felt appalled at how easily he lied to someone he cared for.

OOOOOOOO

"You don't belong there."

Kuro sat up on his mattress. He was certain someone had said something, but there was nobody in the room. He rubbed his eyes and opened the bedroom door. "Did you say something?" he asked as he descended the stairs. When no one replied, he took a good look around. "I'm alone?" he asked himself, "But it's too early for everybody to be gone! Shiro?"

The room began to change right before his eyes. He was in the public restroom and the three boys were in front of him again. He wasn't afraid this time. Instead of attacking, the three sneered at him.

"What are you, some sort of freak?" they asked in unison.

"No!" Kuro exclaimed.

"Yes you are! They should lock you up."

"NO!" Before the three could respond, the colors around them began to change. As Kuro watched, their faces were ripped from their heads. He screamed and clasped his hands over his own face to protect it. He could feel the wet warmth of blood on his arms. "SHIRO! Help!" A deafening, high-pitched noise drowned out his cries.

Once the sound stopped, he couldn't hear anything; everything around him was silent and, after a few minutes, he summoned the courage to move his hands away. He wasn't in a room anymore. In fact, he wasn't sure he was _anywhere_. The space before him was all gray. There were no shadows and no light, just the gray. There was moisture on his hands; he had been crying. He wiped his sleeve across his face and sniffed to clear his nose. Once he looked up again, there were three colors instead of one. In front of him, everything was white. He looked back and saw only black, but the area he was standing in was still gray. The darkness behind him should have been frightening, but all he felt from it was familiar warmth. The whiteness ahead of him made him shiver. It was cold, alright, but it also filled him with excitement. He grinned and tried to take a step forward, but found his feet were stuck where they were.

"You can't do it on your own."

Kuro gasped and looked around, but found he was still alone. "Who said that?"

"I know you exist and I'll find you. I'll help you out of that gray area."

The voice failed to bring him comfort. It frightened him. He didn't know why the fear was there, but it kept him from replying.

"Kuro, come back!"

Kuro looked behind him to see Shiro standing on the edge of the black space. He tried to go to him, but his feet still wouldn't move. "Shiro, I need help!"

Shiro didn't respond, but Dark appeared next to him. "I knew it," he stated grimly.

Kuro called to him, "Father, help me!" Shiro glanced up at Dark, who shook his head. As Kuro watched, they vanished. The darkness no longer felt warm. He was alone again and everything around him was cold and foreboding. "What do I do now?" he whispered to himself.

"I can help you," the disembodied voice told him again, "but I need to find you first." Kuro felt tears falling down his face again. "Wait for me."


	14. Chapter 14

Kuro bolted upright. He was panting and he could feel sweat in his hair. 'It was just a dream.' He let out a sigh of relief and looked beside him. Shiro wasn't there like he should have been. He couldn't stop another cold tear from running down his cheek as a new fear settled in. 'No!' He jumped to his feet and nearly fell down the stairs as he hurried to the kitchen. "SHIRO!"

"Kuro?" Shiro was at the table with Daisuke and they both were staring at him with wide eyes. Kuro leapt to Shiro and hugged him tightly. He stayed clung to him for a while to make sure he wouldn't disappear. "Um…what's wrong, Kuro?"

Kuro let his brother go, "n-nothing. Sorry." Despite the terror the dream inflicted upon him, something told him he shouldn't mention it to them. He didn't want to take any chances.

"Are you sure?" Shiro asked with a worried look in his face, "You're covered in sweat."

"Y-yeah…Daisuke?"

Daisuke smiled warmly at Kuro, "Huh?"

"You're going to be late if you don't leave soon."

Daisuke glanced at the clock and gasped, "oh, no! You're right! Thanks." He grabbed his things and ran out the door.

Shiro sighed angrily, "Now that he's gone, did you want to tell me what's going on?"

"It's nothing, really! I'm feeling a lot better now." Kuro forced himself to smile.

Shiro smiled back and grabbed Kuro's hair, "time for me to beat you at poker! Again." He laughed and pulled Kuro along.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Kuro sat upright on his mattress and glanced at the clock. It had been a week since the accident in the restroom and life had gone back to normal. He and Shiro had shown no signs of aging. They all assumed the aging was just the Angelbow's way of catching up with Dark and Krad. After the world inside the Angelbow collapsed, it was left with very little power. Still, it attempted to duplicate Dark and Krad. As a result, the twins were created younger than they should have been. Now that they had matured to the age the Angelbow created them to be, the Niwas guessed they would stay that way like the angels.

Kuro wondered what would wake him up at 2 o'clock in the morning. Until then, he had been enjoying a restful, dreamless sleep. He yawned and buried himself in his blankets to try and sleep again. It didn't work; he wasn't tired anymore. He slowly got off the mattress and looked out the window at the sleeping city. He was about to try sleeping again when he thought he saw something moving outside. He knew it wasn't smart to investigate things outside at night, but his curiosity got the best of him. 'I'll just look around from the roof. I'll be fine up there.'

Kuro climbed out into the cool air. His eyes were not as suited to the dark as Shiro's were, but the moon was bright that night. He scanned the city around him, but was disappointed by its stillness. He sighed and sat down with his legs dangling over the edge. It wouldn't hurt to linger for a few minutes; the cityscape was beautiful.

After a while, he began to get chilly. 'That's enough for tonight.' He stood up and hugged his arms close to his chest. He was about to go back inside when he heard a noise behind him. He kept still to listen intently. The noise didn't repeat itself, but he heard a footstep. He shivered, 'oh no!' He turned his head slowly and discreetly, hoping to give the intruder some sense of security. 'Maybe if he doesn't know I know he's there, he won't bother me.' Even with his head turned as far as he dared to turn it, he couldn't catch a glimpse of the person behind him. Whoever was there stayed in place. 'Maybe he hasn't seen me?'

"Your name. It's Kuro, isn't it?"

Kuro recognized the voice from the terrible dreams he had been having for days. He held his breath as he turned just enough to see some the other person's shadow. "Y-yes…" The dark shape revealed that his visitor was tall and male, but his shadow seemed disfigured in a way that kept Kuro from discerning anything else about him.

"Where are your wings? You do have them, don't you?"

Kuro kept himself from visibly reacting to the question. "I don't know what you mean."

"You don't need to be afraid of me, Kuro. I mean you no harm." Kuro only stood there, wondering what he wanted. "Kuro," the visitor began, "you may look at me if you wish."

"And if I don't?"

The intruder laughed light-heartedly. "Dark's influence is obvious. Of course, you're not nearly as obnoxious as he is." Kuro glared at the shadow, wondering how he knew his father. They were both silent for quite some time before he finally sighed and turned to look at him.


	15. Chapter 15

The man on the roof was not what Kuro was expecting. He was about Dark's age and height, but his hair was long and blond. He wore clean, white clothes and his eyes were of an amber color, just like Shiro's. The large, feathered wings that had obscured his shadow before completed his overall heavenly appearance. Kuro avoided the obvious question and asked, "How did you get into my dreams?"

His visitor obviously wasn't expecting that question, but he only smiled. Kuro couldn't help but admire his controlled demeanor. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking," he stated lightly, "I cannot enter another person's dreams."

"But I know your voice," Kuro replied, feeling slightly frustrated, "I heard your voice almost every night this last week."

"Is that so?"

"Who are you?" The force with which he asked the question didn't have the intimidating effect he had hoped for.

His addressee put his hand to his mouth to quiet his chuckling. "I am very sorry if I've angered you, Kuro." He put his hand down, "my name is Krad…you have some of me in you. In fact, you have more of me than of Dark." His smile slipped only slightly. "I'm sure you've noticed the difference between you and the one you call your brother."

"He IS my brother!"

"Yes, he is. I'm on your side in this."

Kuro paused. How could he be on anyone's side? This wasn't a battle. Kuro guessed that part of his statement was a hint at why he came. "So, why are you here?" he asked in a calmer voice.

"I'm here to help you, Kuro," Krad replied with a sincere look on his face. Kuro couldn't tell if it was genuine or an act. "Perhaps your dreams are a result of our connection. I found myself being called here…I cannot explain that either. Kuro, I've been observing you with Dark and the Niwa family. They have been keeping so much from you."

"What do you mean? They love me."

"Dark sees me in you and he treats you differently for it. The Niwas follow along without question. After all, he is the only one who actually knows me."

"I don't understand."

"Dark cannot see past our differences. He hates me for them and now he is spreading that prejudice to you."

"But he hasn't done anything to me."

Krad sighed sadly, "that is exactly what I'm talking about. I've seen him teaching Shiro to fly."

"He said Shiro needs to keep his wings strong…"

"And you don't?"

Kuro had to admit to himself that he hadn't thought about it like that, even if Dark provided an excuse for it. "My wings aren't strong enough to fly. I'm too small," his voice was uncertain, but he wasn't ready to believe there was a conspiracy against him within his own home.

"Is that why he won't teach you magic? You do not need to be physically strong to learn magic."

Kuro lowered his head, "I…never questioned it…"

Krad smiled warmly and stepped closer, "I want to help you, Kuro. I am more your father than Dark could ever be."

"But I…I don't even know you," Kuro replied, backing up.

Krad took another step forward, "I'm not asking you to come with me."

Kuro stepped back again, "I should ask Shiro about it…"

Krad's smile turned a little crooked as he moved closer. "He can't know about this."

As Kuro stepped back once more, he felt resistance behind his foot. Before he could react, he fell over the edge of the building. He heard Krad shout after him as he tumbled head-first toward the ground. He shut his eyes tight and prepared for impact.


	16. Chapter 16

Kuro opened his eyes again when the pain he had been expecting never came. He saw Krad's face and white wings above him. The angel had him cradled in his arms and brought him safely back to the rooftop before setting him down.

"Are you alright, Kuro?"

Kuro worked to catch his breath before answering between gasps, "you…caught me?"

Krad straightened his shirt for him, "what kind of father would I be if I let you fall? Were you injured when I caught you?"

"N-no, I…how did you…catch me so quickly?"

"I have been flying for a very long time, Kuro. That is why I came here." Krad smoothed Kuro's hair tenderly. "I want to teach you what Dark will not."

Kuro's face brightened, "You'll…teach me to fly?"

"That and more." Krad helped Kuro to his feet, "I cannot teach you everything, unfortunately. You have great potential."

"I…do?" Kuro blushed a bit.

"Is something wrong?" Krad asked in a concerned voice.

"Oh, no," Kuro replied quickly, "I'm just not used to be complimented. I mean…how can I have great potential?"

"You, Kuro, can learn both Dark's magic and my own. I plan to return soon to this same place to teach you what I can…Dark will not teach you his magic, but I want you to convince your brother to teach you what he learns from him. However, you must never tell him about me."

"I…how would I do that?"

"You're a smart boy, Kuro."

"And I can't tell Shiro about you?"

"Under no circumstances." Krad's face became grave. "Dark must never learn I have contacted you. I fear what he will do to you if he does. He hates me…and he may kill you to stop what he would think is some sort of scheme of mine."

"And is it a scheme?"

Krad's expression did not change, but Kuro thought he saw his eye twitch. "You think I am potting by offering you my knowledge? Perhaps I am wasting my time here." He turned away and started walking toward the edge.

"No, wait!" Kuro exclaimed, "I-I didn't mean it, please!"

Krad stopped and looked at him again. He smiled. "You are still unsure about me. I am not asking you to do anything but give me the benefit of the doubt, Kuro. If, in time, you decide I am not worthy of your trust, you can stop coming to meet me. I'll understand. Still, you must never tell Shiro or Dark might learn if it. Things will remain peaceful as long as Dark has no knowledge of this."

"But…Shiro wouldn't tell him. Not if I asked him to keep it a secret."

Krad nodded and turned away momentarily. "Don't take the chance, Kuro. I may be wrong, but I feel he has betrayed your trust in the past."

"He wouldn't do that!"

Krad turned to face him again with what was almost a glare, "Don't take that chance, Kuro."

Kuro swallowed nervously and stared at the older angel. He realized it would be unwise to get comfortable with him…at least without learning more about him. Krad was dangerous, he could tell, dangerous just like him. It scared him, but comforted him at the same time. Maybe he did have more in common with Krad than with Dark. He found himself hoping it was true and that Krad planned to take him away; he didn't feel like he belonged in the Niwa house. "I won't tell him anything," Kuro promised.

Krad placed a hand on Kuro's head and recovered his pleasant smile, "you're a good boy." He stood up straight and spread his maginificent wings. Kuro caught himself with his mouth agape. "I must leave now," Krad stated, "I'll see you again soon, Kuro". He brought his wings down and took off in a gust of wind.

Kuro stood on the roof for a few minutes with his hair haphazardly thrown about his head. He shivered when he realized how cold it had gotten in those few minutes and retreated downstairs. He curled up in his blankets next to Shiro and tried to fall asleep again. Unfortunately, he had too much to think about.

OOOOOOOOO

"KURO!"

Kuro screamed and pulled his blanket over his head.

Shiro started to laugh, but stopped himself. He was working on controlling his urge to tease people…it wasn't going so well. "Um…sorry," he muttered. He tugged at the blanket, "Bad dream?"

"No, no," Kuro replied as he emerged from the sheets, "you just startled me."

Shiro tried to let it go, but he couldn't get past thinking his brother had seriously overreacted. Then again, he was generally unpredictable. Either way, it wasn't that important. "Anyway, I was just wondering why you weren't awake yet."

"Yet? What time is it?"

Shiro chuckled, "I'm awake, aren't I?"

"Wow, it really is late! I didn't sleep very well; I'm sorry."

"Listen," Shiro began after a short pause, "I'm not trying to be a pest or anything, but you haven't been the same since our 'museum trip'. Are you sure you're alright?"

Kuro smiled. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Shiro frowned. Why wouldn't he tell him what was wrong? They were brothers, after all, they should trust each other. Shiro caught himself and felt slightly ashamed; he had already betrayed Kuro's trust once before. Did Kuro somehow find out about it? How would he? Dark wouldn't tell him about it; it would only make things worse.

"What's wrong, Shiro?"

Shiro got rid of his frown, "hold it, you're the one who's acting strangely and you ask ME what's wrong?"

Kuro laughed, "I'm not acting strangely, Shiro. Just because we stopped aging doesn't mean we don't change mentally, right? It's probably something natural."

Shiro sighed. "I guess you're right."

"Let's talk about something else," Kuro suggested lightly, "did father teach you anything cool yesterday?"

Shiro's face lit up. Dark had indeed taught something yesterday. Every lesson with Dark was better than the last and each one left him in anticipation of the next. After he admitted he had been wrong about their abilities to use magic, Dark even started training him to use it. "I can almost use my magic at will," he stated proudly, "soon, I won't have to worry about getting the right emotions. All I'll have to do is hold out my hand and, well, use it!"

"That's exciting! What will you do with it?"

Shiro paused momentarily. He hadn't thought about that. After a few seconds of pondering, he shrugged. "I'm not sure…maybe dad has something in mind? I mean, why else would he bother to teach me this stuff?"

Kuro grinned, "maybe someday he'll take you with him."

"My life would be complete!"

They both laughed at Shiro's enthusiasm. Once the laughter had died down, Kuro rubbed his arm and frowned nervously. "Um, Shiro?"

"Yeah?"

"Well…I know father doesn't want to teach me anything because I'm so…weak." Shiro started to protest, but Kuro cut him off, "but, you see, I think if I could show him I can handle magic, he might teach me after all." He sighed. "Basically, what I'm asking is…will you teach me some of the things father is teaching you?"

Shiro's heartbeat quickened. Dark had told him Kuro might be curious about their lessons and that he couldn't try to teach him anything, for his own safety. Kuro was small and he got sick easily. Dark said his body would not be able to handle magic in its condition. "Kuro, I can't do that. I could end up hurting you because of it."

"I-I know," Kuro replied with a pleading look in his eyes, "but if I never expose myself to magic, how will I ever grow so it can't hurt me? Something bad could happen all over again. I would be more likely to hurt myself if I don't know how to control it. Please, Shiro!"

Shiro sighed. He had to admit to himself that Kuro had a point. Perhaps Dark hadn't thought about it that way. How could he object to it if he heard that justification? "Well, if I'm keeping you safe by doing it, why should I say no?"


	17. Chapter 17

Only two days after his first visit, Krad returned to the rooftop late at night after Dark had already returned from the museum and he and Daisuke were asleep. Kuro had been waiting for him ever since that first meeting with great anticipation. He was beginning to lose hope of ever seeing his "real" father again when the angel showed up. His fears of being abandoned were immediately dissolved.

"I was afraid you wouldn't come back," Kuro said after the angel landed.

Krad smiled at him warmly. "Let this be your first lesson," he said, "you must never be afraid."

Kuro glanced to the side nervously, "well…Dark said fear can keep you alive. It keeps you from making stupid, dangerous decisions…" Krad frowned angrily and Kuro instinctively stepped back. "Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry."

"It isn't what you said, Kuro," Krad replied with a softer expression, "Dark has given you reason to fear things that do not warrant it. He has made you a coward and excused it with logic. It angers me."

"Ah…I'm sorry," Kuro looked away. He jumped when he felt Krad's hand on his head. "Yes?"

"Stop apologizing, Kuro. People like us….we don't need to apologize." Krad's smile turned crooked for a second before he fixed it. He didn't know Kuro caught that.

"What do you mean 'people like us'?" the younger boy asked suspiciously.

If Krad realized he had slipped up, he didn't show it. "Well, Kuro, we may not be human, but we're still people, aren't we?"

"Oh, well…yes…but why don't we have to apologize?"

Krad ignored the question and put his arm around Kuro's shoulders, "let me see your wings, Kuro. You want to learn to fly, don't you?" Kuro let his original question go. This is what he had been anticipating for two days. Still, something held him back. He found himself blushing. Krad grinned, "is something wrong?"

"Can you teach me something else first?"

"Of course. I'll only teach you what you want to learn." Krad knelt down to Kuro's eye level, "still, I'd like to know why you don't want to fly. Are you afraid of heights?"

"Well," Kuro began, "it's not that. It's just…" He hesitated, squeezing the arm he held, "it's a little embarrassing. My wings are so small…and yours are so wonderful."

Krad laughed quietly, "is that all?"

"D-don't make fun of me!"

"Of course not, Kuro. I'm just surprised you thought I would be so immature to judge you because of something silly like that." Krad smoothed his son's hair, "please let me see them." Kuro couldn't explain why Krad's touch could put him at ease so quickly, but he liked the feeling. He let his wings show themselves. It was always more relaxing for both Kuro and Shiro to have them out, but Kuro had convinced his body that they were better hidden. Honestly, it almost made him feel naked having them out. He cringed and looked away when he felt Krad's fingers on his wings. The angel didn't say anything as he examined them. His silence helped Kuro feel more relaxed, but he was so certain his appendages were scrawny and inadequate that he couldn't erase his fear of being criticized too harshly.

"Krad?" he asked after minutes of waiting for a comment.

"Your wings are perfectly normal, Kuro, if not lacking exercise. The only way to get them in shape is to use them." Krad spread his own wings as he looked down at Kuro. "Flying is an instinct for us. You know how to do it, but you must have the courage to try in order to realize it. I want you jump off the roof."

Kuro gulped, "b-but I'll fall."

"Then you fall," Krad replied with a calm grin. Kuro felt the smile was misplaced. "But falling is not the point behind this. I want you to fly."

"Will you catch me if I can't fly?"

"No, I won't. Now that you have your own wings available, you will have to save yourself."

Kuro clasped his hands together and stepped farther away from the edge. "I want to learn something else."

Krad sighed, "you will have to do this eventually, Kuro. Flying is the best place to start because it is the easiest." Kuro shook his head, but before he could back away, Krad grasped his small arm.

"Wh-what are you—"

Krad flung him over the edge. "Instinct, Kuro," the angel shouted after him as he fell.


	18. Chapter 18

As the ground drew closer at a quick, uncontrollable pace, Kuro forced his thoughts to back off. He always thought too much. He felt the wind with his wings just like any of his limbs would. The way it protested against his feathers brought a new way of looking at his predicament. It was so simple!

Kuro's landing was not delicate or controlled like Krad's. His feet hit the ground hard and he found himself with a face full of dirt. "I'll have to work on that," he told himself as he stood up and dusted off his gray pajamas. He looked up from where he was pushed and realized why Krad chose such a simple lesson for him. He was on the ground and he needed to get back up. He couldn't just tramp through the house for fear of waking his family. He had learned to glide and land, but now he needed to fly back up. He grumbled and stared at the roof. Before his mind could complicate the task, he remembered it was all about instinct. This time, however, his thoughts didn't need to be put in the background. He always liked science books and the knowledge of aerodynamics he acquired for them was a big help in this instance. He remembered how it felt to have the wind on his wings. "I can do this," he said aloud, "I don't need to be big or strong to fly."

Again, his landing was rough. He rolled onto the cement to avoid hurting his ankles like he did the first time. He sat up and smiled proudly then scanned the roof for his father's look of approval. Krad was gone.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Daisuke! A phone call for you!"

Daisuke jumped up from where he sat and rushed down the stairs. "Thanks, mom!" He grabbed the phone excitedly and put it to his ear, "Riku!"

"I'm sorry, were you expecting a call?" a male voice replied from the other side.

"Uhm…oh, Hiwatari-kun. No, I wasn't expecting…I was just…hoping…you know."

"It's alright," Satoshi told him. He could have sworn he heard what sounded like a faint chuckle. "I need to talk to you in person, Daisuke."

"I-in person? Why? Is something wrong?"

"It's about all those questions you asked me earlier this week."

Daisuke's heart skipped a beat. "He knows, Dark! He knows," he screamed to the entity in his head.

'Relax, Daisuke,' Dark replied impatiently, 'calm your voice down and keep it cool.'

"But he knows!"

'You don't know that yet. Of course, if you keep him waiting any longer, it'll look suspicious.'

"Oh, yeah…you're right…of course."

'Talk to him!'

"Oh! Um…yeah, my questions," Daisuke said into the phone, "Dark and I just wanted to make sure we knew what we were dealing with."

"They were very specific, Daisuke. A little too specific. I put it aside at the time, but I need to clear a few things up with you. These things shouldn't be discussed over insecure phone lines. You understand."

"Insecure?" Daisuke lowered his voice, "you really think someone's listening to us?"

"I'm not going to deny I have suspicions. Saehara has been acting strangely lately…and this all started the night I had a little disagreement with his father. He may not be a real journalist yet, but he's determined and has resources at his disposal thanks to his connection to the police…and he has little regard for privacy."

"Yeah, I know how he gets. When and where did you want to meet me?"

"I will have to get back to you on that. I'll call soon."

"Oh, ok. Goodbye for now." The line went silent.

'The bastard didn't even bother to say goodbye,' Dark mumbled angrily.

"It's ok, Dark. He'll call again," Daisuke replied light-heartedly. Before he could add anything, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," he called. He opened the door.

"Good afternoon, Daisuke."

"H-Hiwatari-kun! You said you were going to call."

"Yes. I'm calling on you right now," the visitor answered. He snapped his cell phoned closed and put it in his coat pocket.

Daisuke laughed nervously, "oho, right. Calling on me…I get it."

Satoshi frowned, "I know this isn't the right way to do this, but I'll admit Saehara has gotten me a little paranoid."

Daisuke held up a finger and glanced backward at his mother. "Oh, dear," Emiko said with a nervous smile, "you should have told me someone was coming over."

"I'm sorry. If this is too much trouble, we can talk outside, Mrs Niwa," Satoshi said respectfully.

"Oh, don't be silly," Emiko replied, "just let me put a few things away and you can come right in."

Satoshi nodded, "thank you, Mrs Niwa."


	19. Chapter 19

"We need to talk."

Daisuke had that terrible sinking feeling in his gut. Why did Satoshi have to be smart? Things were just going to get worse, he could tell. "What, uh," he began, hoping playing dumb would make him look less suspicious, "you said something about questions?"

"Those questions you asked me the other day at school," Satoshi reminded him, "something has come up and I need to know more. I want to know what the Angelbow has done."

"What? It hasn't done anything yet," Daisuke replied, keeping his anxiety buried, "we just needed to know what to look out for."

"You're lying," the other boy stated bluntly, "you must be lying. Like I said, something has changed and I see no other reason for this change."

"Look at him," Dark butted in from Daisuke's mind, "he sits there expecting us to be completely honest with him, but he won't even tell us what he's talking about. Bastard."

'I'm sure there's a nicer way to bring that up.'

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"Daisuke?" Satoshi murmured from his place on the chair across from Daisuke, "this isn't a joke."

"I…yes, I know it isn't," Daisuke assured him, "it's just…if we don't know what your problem is, we can't exactly…tell you what caused it."

"If you tell me what the Angelbow changed, I can figure out what caused it on my own."

"Damn!" Dark blurted out in frustration, "alright, Daisuke, let me take over. I'll get him to talk."

'Th-this isn't an interrogation, Dark,' Daisuke reminded him politely.

Satoshi nodded before speaking up, "I think I know why you're hesitant."

"What? I'm not hesitating!"

"You think this should work like a trade. I tell you what the problem is, you tell me what the Angelbow did, right?"

"Y—I mean…the Angelbow hasn't done anything, really. Thanks to the info you gave us, we've been very careful with it."

"This doesn't work like a trade," Satoshi continued, ignoring Daisuke's lie, "the problem I'm referring to is a personal matter…for now. If you don't tell me the truth, it could escalate into something much worse…something that affects you and your family."

"Now he's threatening us! Let me at him!"

Daisuke tried to formulate a response while calming Dark down. "Well…"

Before he could finish, a loud thump upstairs caused him to jump visibly. 'Wh-what are they doing up there? He'll start asking!' Daisuke cleared his throat, "um…I think Wiz might have knocked something down. I'll be right back, ok?"

Satoshi nodded and Daisuke got up to investigate. The red head tried to avoid looking at his friend, but he could feel him watching him until he was finally out of sight. "Creep," Dark muttered bitterly; he could sense it too.

Daisuke arrived at his door and opened it cautiously to peek inside. Kuro was brushing himself off as if he had just gotten off the floor and Shiro stood beside him, trying to keep himself from laughing loudly. "What are you doing?"

Kuro's eyes went wide and Daisuke thought he sensed a hint of guilt. He wrung his hands as he tried to think of a way to explain what had happened. "It was my fault," Shiro volunteered, "I was just trying to show him how to punch a guy in the face without hurting himself." The light tone with which he said it left Daisuke wondering what kind of person Dark was teaching him to become.

"Why would you…?"

"He shouldn't be doing that," Dark interrupted, "let me talk to him." Daisuke had a series of questions to ask his counterpart, but he complied and saved them for later. Dark folded his arms and glared down at Shiro. "What did I tell you, Shiro?"

Shiro lowered his head, "B-but…dad, he can do these things. We were going to prove it to you…" Kuro stayed in place, staring expectantly. Dark glanced at him momentarily and was puzzled. By now, he would have hidden behind his brother…something was different. He wasn't saying anything in his own defense either. It worried him.

Dark turned his attention back to the taller of the two, "I don't care what you had planned. You disobeyed me."

"But he can come with us if he learns to—"

"Shiro, I don't want to catch you doing this again. Don't try doing it behind my back either…I'll find out now that I know it's happened before."

Shiro was about to reply when Kuro spoke up, "why don't you want me to learn?" Dark was surprised. He was being too confrontational; it just wasn't like Kuro. He continued in an almost accusatory tone, "I know it isn't because I'm too weak. I can fly and do magic just like Shiro…I've proven that to myself already. For some reason, you don't want me to show you I can. You don't want me to be like you or Shiro! Why?"

'Something's happened,' Dark told Daisuke, 'it's not what Hiwatari noticed, but something really has changed. We need to find a way to stop this or he might…'

"He might what?"

"What, no excuses?"

Shiro stared at his brother; he seemed appalled. "What are you saying, Kuro? Dad doesn't mean anything against you!"

"You're just as guilty," Kuro replied angrily, "I told you not to tell him!" Before Dark could stop him, Kuro leapt out the window.

"Dark, stop him," Daisuke shouted, "he'll fall!"

'No, he won't.'


	20. Chapter 20

"Um," Shiro began nervously, breaking the silence. Dark's angry expression made him hesitant, "I'll…go get him. He's just…he must be tired. I mean, he gets up way too early in the morning."

Dark closed his eyes and sighed, "do what you want."

Shiro waited to see if he would change his mind. When Dark turned to leave the room, he took it as proper consent and jumped after his brother. "What are you going to do, Dark?" Daisuke asked.

'For now, you need to find some way to keep Satoshi here until Kuro returns.'

"What! Why? I thought we wanted him to leave."

'Listen, Daisuke, if what I think happened…happened, then we need to keep Satoshi here…trust me.'

Dark relinquished control of Daisuke body and the boy hurried downstairs. "Hey, Hiwatari," he said, "sorry about that; Wiz got into something upstairs…where were we?"

"You were about to tell me what the Angelbow has changed in this world," Satoshi replied without hesitation, "this is very important."

"Yeah, that's what you said before…um…"

"Don't tell him yet," Dark advised, "I need to have a long talk with Kuro first."

'Right,' Daisuke replied in his head, 'should I tell him something really did happen, though? I mean, if I let him know that we'll tell him eventually, he might be more willing to wait.'

"I guess we don't have much of a choice," Dark admitted, "just be strategic about it."

"Listen," Daisuke began aloud, "will you stay for dinner? I need to do some thinking for now…and we would love to have you." He saw his mom peak into the room from behind Satoshi. "Right, mom?" he asked in a light tone.

"Oh!" he had obviously caught his mother off guard, but she kept her composure, "yes, we would…I made a lot of food tonight!"

Daisuke waited as Satoshi sat back to think. Finally, he replied, "I don't have anything else planned…I suppose that's fine with me. But, Daisuke, I need to know if you can at least tell me a little of what has happened after dinner."

The red head gave his counterpart time to object before answering his friend, "I guess that's fine."

OOOOOOOOOO

Shiro landed when he spotted his brother's footprints. The trail led him away from the houses and toward a cliff facing the sea. They stopped at the edge.

"Kuro," he called as he leaned over to get a look at the rocks below.


	21. Chapter 21

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run off like that…it was impulsive."

Shiro had finally managed to locate his brother and persuaded him to return to the house. He convinced himself the outburst was just the result of bottled-up emotions. Without realizing it, he ignored the feeling of warning in the back of his mind.

The twins were back in the bedroom and Daisuke had used a trip to the restroom as an excuse to leave Satoshi at the table for a little while. Dark looked down at his unnatural children. He tried not to look like a displeased father, but he couldn't help it and that just made him angry at his situation. Having the kids around made him feel like Kosuke…and that's not cool at all.

"Well, what should I do with you?" he asked himself aloud with his hands on his hips.

Kuro seemed puzzled by the question before answering slowly, "I suppose you should...punish me, right?"

Volunteering himself for punishment? It made his father feel sick; Kuro certainly didn't get that from the Great Phantom Thief Dark. It didn't sound like something Krad would do either…it sounded more like Daisuke. This ridiculous mess just got better and better.

"Punish you, huh?" Dark stroked his chin thoughtfully. He simply wasn't the punishing type! Even if he were, it would seem a little hypocritical coming from someone in his line of work. He shook his head, "look, if you don't do it again, I'll let this go."

Kuro grinned wide, "thank you, dad!" Before Dark realized what was going to happen, Kuro threw his arms around him.

'He's definitely got something of you in there, Daisuke,' Dark thought with a little annoyance mixed in. He pushed him away, "uh, yeah, don't mention it…" Kuro didn't seem to mind the rejection. Dark turned around to face the door and missed the boy's sly smile. "Ok, we still have the Hiwatari kid downstairs so keep it quiet up here, got it?" Once he got a nod from both boys, Dark left the room. He stopped before preceding downstairs.

'What's wrong, Dark?'

'I think this'll be easier for both of us if you let me do the talking.'

Dark could sense Daisuke's reluctance before the boy even replied. 'But, Dark, you'll be me. You don't talk like me! It'll be weird.'

'Save it, Daisuke, I'm calling the shots already, aren't I? Let's just cut out the middleman and get this over with.'

'Fine…just don't say anything mean to him. I don't do that so he'd know it was you right away.'

Dark chuckled, 'don't worry, Daisuke, I'll be as spineless as I can.'

'YOU SEE! You can't say things like that when you're me!'

'Relax, I've done this before.'

Despite Dark's reassuring tone, Daisuke remembered that Dark wasn't able to fool Satoshi last time. Still, he decided arguing with him was a futile effort. Besides, he had been in the restroom a little too long as it was.

OOOOOOO

After Kuro had leapt out the window, he had taken flight. He hid behind some bushes on a cliff and waited for Shiro to pass him before revealing his presence. This was the place he needed to be…he just hoped the time was right. After taking one more furtive glance around his surroundings to be sure he was alone, Kuro lifted a large rock near the cliff's lone tree. Something awaited him there. He took the small piece of paper and read the note on it.

'The time to act is drawing nearer. If you need me to find you, leave one of your feathers here and I will come to you when I can, but do not be frivolous in calling me.'

Krad had left the note a few nights ago and Kuro had read it many times. With a new view of the world Krad had given him came anticipation of great days to come. He often wanted to leave a feather to converse with someone who was truly on his side. Life in the Niwa house was becoming unbearable; compared to Krad and himself, the family members were like apes…or something smaller. Only the last phrase in the note stopped him. If he angered his true father by ignoring his wishes, would he decide he was not worth it? He couldn't let that happen; Kuro needed Krad in his life.

This time was not like the others. Shiro, the last person in the house he actually cared for, had betrayed him! How could he stay in that house now? He plucked one of the longer feathers from his wing and tucked it in the bark of the tree before placing the note back in its place. With the feather he placed his hopes. 'Please take me from this place.'

Once Kuro had finished what he set out to do, he took off once again and found a rooftop to land on. There, he waited for Shiro to find him and convince him to come back. He would play the part of the innocent weakling only a little while longer. Soon, he would have a new home.

OOOOOOO

Dark had taken Daisuke's form before descending the stairway and coming back into Satoshi's line of sight. He would tell the boy genius what he wanted to hear. As he walked back to the table, he quickly thought up a few lies and selected the one he thought the police commander would be most likely to believe.

He took Daisuke's seat and smiled at the boy across the table. The food had been cleared and Satoshi had his business face on. "Sorry about that," he said in the most polite tone he could muster.

"You were gone for a while," Satoshi replied, "you're not sick, are you?"

The commander didn't seem to care how embarrassing the question might be. Dark could tell the boy suspected the restroom was just an excuse. "It's...um…possible I might have eaten something bad earlier today." Dark was smiling inside; the 'um' was a genius idea in his opinion, especially since he was having trouble faking a blush for Satoshi's benefit.

"Do you feel better now?"

Dark could the commander had no more desire to continue the small talk than he did. "I do, thanks. I also had some time to think."

"Is this about my request?'

Dark nodded Daisuke's head, "yes…I was thinking that…since this whole situation impacted you as well…and since it involved Krad…that you should know what's going on." That was lie, of course. Dark was only telling him because he was given little choice. He continued, "basically, there were some strong bits of magic hanging around the Angelbow when we got it. Dark got rid of them, but mom was nervous about it…she wanted me to ask you about all the things the Angelbow could do so we'd be prepared, so that's why I asked all those questions."

Satoshi put both his hands on the table as he stood up with a sigh. "I see," he replied in a way that said otherwise, "it's getting late…I should leave."

'Well, it's about time.' Dark hid his annoyance under one of Daisuke's smiles, "already? Well, I guess we can hang out tomorrow, right?"

"If that's what you want." Dark walked Satoshi to the door. He was about to shut it after him when the boy turned to face him, "don't see this as a threat, Dark, but you will eventually regret keeping this secret from me."

Dark let himself look shocked, "what do you mean?"

Satoshi didn't bother justifying the question with an answer. He turned and walked off into the night. Dark had to keep himself from slamming the door after him. He leaned on it and crossed his arms angrily. 'How did he know? I was playing you perfectly!'

Daisuke was incredulous, 'of all things, that's what you're worried about!'


End file.
